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Xy-^M  Ml  I M  *  I  v* ' 

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UCSB  LIBRARY 


from  t$i 
Devotional  Classics 


Volume   III 

Sonatorntura  to  eatfjrnnc  ot 


Vol.  Three 


Bonabentuta 


from  tbe 


^ 
SDebotional 


EDITED     BY 

Kobert  fecott  anb  CSeocge  CM.  (Bilmorr 

Editors  of  The  Homtletic  Reviem 


IN     TEN     VOLUMES 


Volume    I  I  I 

Bonabentuta  to  Cat&mne  of  feienna 


FUNK  &  WAGNALLS  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 
FUNK    &    WAGNALLS    COMPANY 

[Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America} 

Copyright  under  the  Articles  of  the  Copyright  Convention 

of  the  Pan-American  Republics  and  the  United 

States,  August  11,  1910 


Contents  Volume 


The  Soul's  Progress  in  God,  by  Bonaventura 

(Frontispiece)      ............       1 

From  The  Religious  State,  by  Saint  Thomas 

Aquinas  (  Illustration)       ........     69 

From  Meister  Eckhart's  Sermons  ......     87 

From  The  Sermons  and  Conferences  of 

Johann   Tauler    ............     97 

From  The  Revelations  of  Divine  Love  Shewed 

to  Mother  Juliana  of  Norwich  ......  137 

From  A  Treatise  of  Prayer,  by  Catherine  of 

Sienna  (Illustration)  ..........  195 


A  Prayer  of  the  Earl  of  Shaf tesbury  . .  . .  68 
A  Prayer  from  the  Greek  Church  Liturgy  . .  86 
A  Prayer  from  the  Mozarabic  Liturgy  . .  194 
A  Prayer  of  Christina  Rossetti  218 


Vll 


C&e  §>oiiP0  progress  3n 

(Itinerarium  Mentis  in  Deum) 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN  OP 
BONAVENTURA 

BY 

THOMAS   DAVIDSON 


in— i 


BONAVENTURA 

Seraphic  Doctor,  cardinal  and  general  of  the 
Franciscan  Order ;  born  at  Bagnorea,  1221 ;  died  at 
Lyons,  July  15,  1274.  He  "stands  beside  the  great 
Dominican  Doctor,  Thomas  Aquinas,  whose  inti- 
mate friend  he  was,  as  one  of  the  two  bright  lights 
of  medieval  thought.  They  represent  its  two 
chief  directions.  Thomas  is  a  scholastic,  Bona- 
ventura  a  mystic.  Of  the  numerous  works  of  the 
latter  the  best  known  and  most  admired  are  his 
'Breviloquium'  and  his  'Itinerarium  Mentis  in 
Deum'  (The  Mind's  Itinerary  to  God)." 


In  the  beginning  (John  1: 1)  I  invoke  the 
First  Principle,  from  whom,  as  from  the 
Father  of  Lights  (James  1:17),  descend  all 
illuminations,  from  whom  is  every  best  and 
every  perfect  gift — that  is,  I  invoke  the  Eter- 
nal Father,  through  his  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that,  by  the  intercession  of  the  most 
holy  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  the  same  God 
and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  that  of 
the  blessed  Francis,  our  guide  and  father,  he 
would  illuminate  the  eyes  of  our  soul  (Luke 
1:79;  Phil.  4:7;  John  14:27)  to  guide  our 
feet  into  the  way  of  that  peace  which  passeth 
all  sense,  the  peace  which  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  preached  and  gave,  of  which  preach- 
ing our  father,  Saint  Francis,  was  the  re- 
peater, in  every  sermon  proclaiming  peace  at 
the  beginning  and  end;  in  every  salutation 
wishing  peace;  in  every  contemplation  sigh- 
ing for  ecstatic  peace,  as  a  citizen  of  that 
Jerusalem  whereof  it  is  said  by  that  man  of 
peace,  who  was  peaceful  with  them  who  hated 
peace:  "Seek  ye  those  things  which  are  for 
the  peace  of  Jerusalem"  (Ps.  122:6).  For 
he  knew  that  the  throne  of  Solomon  was 

By  arrangement  with  D.  Appleton  &  Co. 
3 


Classics* 

only  in  peace,  as  it  is  written:  "In  Salem 
(peace)  also  is  his  tabernacle  and  his 
dwelling-place  in  Zion"  (Ps.  76:3).  When, 
therefore,  according  to  the  example  of  our 
most  blessed  father  Francis,  I  panted  after 
this  peace — I,  a  sinner  who,  tho  in  all  re- 
spects unworthy,  have  succeeded,  the  sev- 
enth in  order  since  his  transition,  in  the  room 
of  that  most  blessed  father,  to  the  general  min- 
istry of  the  brethren — it  happened  that  by 
tLe  divine  will,  in  the  thirty-third  year  after 
the  transition  of  this  blessed  father,  I,  desir- 
ing to  find  peace  of  spirit,  withdrew  to  Mount 
Alvernia  as  to  a  quiet  place;  and  while  I 
abode  there  and  was  considering  in  my  mind 
certain  mental  ascensions  to_  God,  there  oc- 
curred to  me,  among  other  things,  that  mira- 
cle which  in  the  above-mentioned  spot  hap- 
pened to  the  blessed  Francis,  namely,  the  vis- 
ion of  a  winged  seraph  in  the  form  of  a  cruci- 
fix. And,  as  I  reflected  thereupon,  it  imme- 
diately appeared  to  me  that  this  vision  typified 
the  uplifting  of  our  father  in  contemplation 
and  the  way  that  leads  thereto ;  for  by  the  six 
wings  we  may  rightly  understand  the  six  up- 
liftings  of  illumination,  whereby,  as  by  a 
kind  of  steps  or  paths,  the  soul  is  disposed 
to  pass  upward  to  peace  through  the  ecstatic 
transports  of  Christian  wisdom.  But  there 
is  no  way  save  through  most  ardent  love  for 


the  Crucified,  who  so  transformed  Paul,  when 
caught  up  to  the  third  heaven  (2  Cor.  12:  2) 
into  Christ  that  he  said :  ' '  I  have  been  cruci- 
fied with  Christ ;  and  I  live  no  longer  as  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  me"  (Gal.  2:20).  He  like- 
wise so  absorbed  the  mind  of  Francis  that 
it  revealed  itself  in  the  flesh,  inasmuch  as 
he  bore  the  most  sacred  stigmata  of  the  pas- 
sion in  his  body  for  two  years  before  his 
death.  The  figure,  therefore,  of  the  six  se- 
raphic wings  implies  the  six  degrees  of  illumi- 
nation, which,  beginning  with  created  things, 
lead  up  even  to  God,  to  whom  no  one  rightly 
enters  except  through  the  Crucified.  "For 
he  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the 
fold  of  the  sheep,  but  climbeth  up  some  other 
way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber;  but 
he  that  entereth  in  by  the  door  shall  go  in 
and  out  and  shall  find  pasture"  (John  10: 1, 
2).  Wherefore  John  saith  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse : ' '  Blessed  are  they  that  wash  their  robes 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb;  that  they  may 
have  the  authority  over  the  tree  of  life,  and 
may  enter  in  by  the  gates  into  the  city"  (Rev. 
22:14).  As  if  he  said  that  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem  can  not  be  entered  by  contempla- 
tion except  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb 
as  a  gate ;  for  no  man  is  in  any  way  disposed 
to  divine  contemplations  which  lead  to  men- 
tal transports,  unless  with  Daniel  (Dan. 


Drbotiomil  Classics 

9:23;  10:11)  he  be  a  man  of  desires;  for 
desires  are  kindled  in  us  in  two  ways — 
through  the  cry  of  prayer,  which  maketh  us 
roar  from  anguish  of  heart,  and  by  the  light- 
ning of  speculation,  whereby  the  mind  is 
turned  altogether  directly  and  intently  to 
the  rays  of  light.  Wherefore,  to  the  groan- 
ing of  prayer  through  Christ  crucified, 
through  whose  blood  we  are  cleansed  from  the 
defilements  of  sin,  I  first  of  all  invite  the 
reader,  lest  he  should,  perchance,  think  that 
reading  will  suffice  without  unction,  specula- 
tion without  devotion,  research  without  ad- 
miration, circumspection  without  exultation, 
industry  without  piety,  knowledge  without 
charity,  intelligence  without  humiliation, 
study  without  divine  grace,  the  mirror  with- 
out divinely  inspired  wisdom.  To  those,  there- 
fore, who  are  subjects  of  prevenient  grace, 
the  humble  and  pious,  the  contrite  and  de- 
vout, to  those  who  are  anointed  with  the  oil 
of  divine  joy,  to  the  lovers  of  divine  wisdom, 
and  to  them  who  are  kindled  with  the  desire 
thereof,  and  who  wish  to  devote  themselves 
to  magnifying,  loving,  and  trusting  God,  I 
offer  the  following  speculations,  at  the  same 
time  warning  them  that  the  mirror  held  up 
outside  availeth  little  or  nothing,  unless  the 
mirror  of  our  minds  be  clean  and  polished. 
Exercise  thyself,  therefore,  O  man  of  God, 

6 


upon  the  rankling  prick  of  conscience,  before 
thou  raisest  thine  eyes  to  the  rays  of  divine 
wisdom  reflected  in  her  mirror,  lest  haply, 
from  gazing  at  these  rays,  thou  fall  into  a 
deeper  pit  of  darkness. 

I  purpose  to  divide  my  treatise  into  seven 
chapters,  prefixing  to  each  a  title  for  the 
easier  understanding  of  the  things  treated 
therein.  I  beg  my  readers,  therefore,  that 
they  will  regard  the  intention  of  the  writer 
more  than  his  work,  the  meaning  of  his  words 
more  than  his  uncouth  speech,  truth  more 
than  elegance  of  style,  exercise  of  affection 
more  than  erudition  of  intellect.  Those  who 
will  do  this  must  not  run  lightly  over  the 
course  of  these  speculations,  but  must  with 
all  care  ruminate  upon  them. 


Cfie  Speculation  of  t&e  Poor 
t&e  €OilDerne00 


tlje  SDfgmg  of  ftgcengfon  to  (Sob,  an& 
of  ^im  ^roug!) 
3fn  tyt  WLnibet&t 


"Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in 
thee;  in  whose  heart  are  the  highways  to 
Zion.  Passing  through  the  valley  of  weep- 
ing, they  make  it  a  place  of  springs"  (Ps. 
84:4-6).  Since  bliss  is  naught  but  the 
enjoyment  of  the  supreme  good,  and  the  su- 
preme good  is  above  us,  no  one  can  become 
blest  unless  he  ascend  above  himself,  with 
ascension  not  of  the  body  but  of  the  heart. 
But  we  can  not  be  lifted  above  ourselves,  save 
through  a  higher  power  lifting  us  up.  For 
however  much  our  inward  steps  may  be  or- 
dejed,  nothing  is  done  unless  divine  aid  ac- 
company. But  divine  aid  accompanies  those 
who  ask  it  from  the  heart,  humbly  and  de- 
voutly, and  this  is  to  sigh  for  it  in  this  vale 
of  tears  —  which  is  done  by  fervent  prayer. 
Prayer,  therefore,  is  the  mother  and  source 
of  uprising  to  God.  Wherefore  Dionysius, 
in  his  "Mystic  Theology"  wishing  to  instruct 

8 


BonabnUttra 

us  in  the  way  to  attain  mental  transports,  sets 
down  prayer  as  the  first  step.  Let  us  each, 
therefore,  pray  and  say  to  our  Lord  God: 
"Lead  me,  0  Lord,  in  thy  way,  and  I  will 
walk  in  thy  truth.  Let  my  heart  rejoice  to 
fear  thee"  (Ps.  86:11).  In  praying  this 
prayer,  we  are  illuminated  to  know  the  steps 
of  ascension  to  God.  For,  inasmuch  as  in 
our  present  condition  this  universe  of  things 
is  a  stair  whereby  we  may  ascend  to  God; 
and  since  among  these  things  some  are  his 
footprints,  some  his  image,  some  corporeal, 
some  spiritual,  some  temporal,  some  eternal; 
and  hence  some  outside  of  us,  and  some  in- 
side ;  in  order  that  we  may  attain  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  first  principle,  which  is  al- 
together spiritual,  eternal,  and  above  us,  we 
must  pass  through  the  footsteps,  which  are 
corporeal,  temporal,  and  outside  of  us;  and 
this  is  to  be  led  in  the  way  of  God  (John 
14:6).  We  must  also  enter  into  our  own 
minds,  which  are  the  image  of  God,  eternal, 
spiritual,  and  within  us ;  and  this  is  to  enter 
into  the  truth  of  God.  We  must  also  rise 
aloft  to  the  eternal,  which  is  purely  spiritual 
and  above  us,  by  looking  at  the  First  Prin- 
ciple ;  and  this  is  to  rejoice  in  the  knowledge 
of  God  and  in  reverence  for  his  majesty. 
This,  then,  is  the  three-days'  journey  in  the 
wilderness.  This  is  the  threefold  illumina- 


SDibotional  Clasoirs 

tion  of  one  day;  the  first  is  as  the  evening, 
the  second  as  the  morning,  and  the  third  as 
noon-day.  This  has  regard  to  the  threefold 
existence  of  things;  that  is,  in  matter,  in  in- 
telligence, and  in  the  divine  art,  as  it  is 
written:  "Let  there  be  made;  he  made,  and 
it  was  made"  (Gen.  1:2,  3).  This  also  has 
regard  to  the  triple  substance  in  Christ,  who 
is  our  stair — that  is,  the  corporeal,  the  spirit- 
ual, and  the  divine. 

According  to  this  triple  progress,  our 
minds  have  three  principal  outlooks.  The 
first  is  toward  corporeal  things  without,  and 
with  reference  to  this  it  is  called  anirnality 
or  sensuality.  The  second  is  directed  inward 
upon  and  into  itself,  and  with  reference  to 
this  it  is  called  spirit.  The  third  is  directed 
upward  above  itself,  and  in  reference  to  this 
it  is  called  mind.  With  all  these  it  must  dis- 
pose itself  to  ascend  to  God,  that  it  may  love 
him  with  the  whole  mind,  the  whole  heart, 
and  the  whole  soul,  in  which  consist  at  once 
perfect  observance  of  the  law  and  Christian 
wisdom. 

But  since  every  one  of  the  aforesaid  modes 
is  doubled,  according  as  we  come  to  consider 
God  as  Alpha  and  as  Omega,  or  according  as 
we  come  to  see  God  in  each  of  the  above  modes 
through  a  glass  and  in  a  glass,  or  because 
each  of  these  considerations  has  to  be  com- 

10 


mingled  with  the  other  that  is  joined  to.  it, 
and  also  to  be  considered  in  its  purity,  so 
it  is  necessary  that  these  three  grades  should 
rise  to  the  number  of  six;  whence,  as  God 
finished  the  universal  world  in  six  days  and 
rested  on  the  seventh,  so  the  smaller  world 
is  led  in  the  most  orderly  way,  by  six  suc- 
cessive grades  of  illumination,  to  the  rest  of 
contemplation.  Typical  of  this  are  the  six 
£teps  leading  to  the  throne  of  Solomon  (Kings 
10 : 19 )  ;  the  six-winged  seraphim  which  Isa- 
iah saw  (Isaiah  6:2);  the  six  days  after 
which  God  called  Moses  from  the  midst  of 
the  darkness  (Ex.  24: 16) ;  the  six  days  after 
\vhich,  as  we  read  in  Matthew,  Christ  led  his 
disciples  up  into  a  mountain  and  was  trans- 
figured before  them  (Matt.  17:1). 

Corresponding,  therefore,  to  the  six  grades 
of  ascension  into  God  are  the  six  grades  of 
the  powers  of  the  soul,  whereby  we  ascend 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest;  from  the  ex- 
ternal to  the  most  internal;  from  the  tem- 
poral to  the  eternal ;  namely :  sense,  imagina- 
tion, reason,  intellect,  intelligence,  and  the 
apex  of  the  mind,  or  the  spark  of  syntere- 
sis.1  These  grades  are  implanted  in  us  by 
nature,  deformed  by  sin,  reformed  by  grace, 


1  "An  appetitive  faculty  of  the  soul,  receiving  from  God 
a  certain  natural  inclination  to  the  good ;  a  natural  stimu- 
lus to  good"  (Gerson). 

11 


to  be  purged  by  justice,  exercised  by  knowl- 
edge, perfected  by  wisdom.  For,  according 
to  the  first  institution  of  nature,  man  was 
created  fit  for  the  quiet  contemplation;  and, 
for  this  reason,  God  placed  him  in  a  paradise 
of  delights;  but,  turning  away  from  the  true 
light  to  mutable  good,  he  himself  was  made 
crooked  through  his  own  fault,  and  his  whole 
race  through  original  sin,  which  infected  hu- 
man nature  in  two  ways — the  mind  with  ig- 
norance, and  the  flesh  with  concupiscence;  so 
that  man,  blinded  and  bowed  down,  sits  in 
darkness  and  sees  not  the  light  of  heaven, 
unless  he  be  aided  by  grace  with  justice 
against  concupiscence,  and  by  knowledge 
with  wisdom  against  ignorance.  All  this  is 
done  through  Jesus  Christ,  "who  for  us  was 
made  wisdom  from  God  and  justice  and  sancti- 
fication  and  redemption"  (1  Cor.  1 :  30).  He, 
being  the  power  and  wisdom  of  God,  the  In- 
carnate Word  full  of  grace  and  truth,  made 
grace  and  truth.  To  wit,  he  infused  the  grace 
of  charity,  which  when  it  comes  "of  a  pure 
heart,  a  good  conscience,  and  faith  unfeigned" 
(1  Tim.  1:5),  rectifies  the  whole  soul  in  its 
threefold  outlook  above  mentioned.  He  also 
taught  the  knowledge  of  truth,  according  to 
the  three  modes  of  theology — that  is,  sym- 
bolic, proper,  and  mystical — so  that,  through 
symbolic  theology,  we  might  rightly  use  sen- 

12 


Bonabrntura 

sible  things;  through  theology  proper,  intel- 
ligible things;  and  through  mystical  theol- 
ogy, might  be  caught  up  into  supermental 
ecstasies. 

Whoever,  therefore,  would  ascend  to  God 
must  avoid  deforming  sin  and  exercise  the 
above-named  natural  powers,  with  a  view 
to  reforming  grace,  and  this  by  prayer ;  with 
a  view  to  purifying  justice,  and  this  in  con- 
versation ;  with  a  view  to  illuminating  science, 
and  this  in  meditation;  with  a  view  to  per- 
fecting wisdom,  and  this  in  contemplation. 
Therefore,  even  as  no  one  comes  to  wisdom 
save  through  grace,  justice,  and  knowledge, 
so  no  one  comes  to  contemplation  save  by 
clear  meditation,  holy  conversation,  and  de- 
vout prayer.  As  grace,  therefore,  is  the  foun- 
dation of  Tightness  of  will  and  of  the  clear 
illumination  of  reason,  so  we  must  first  pray, 
then  live  holily,  and  thirdly,  attend  to  the 
manifestations  of  truth;  and,  so  attending, 
we  must  gradually  rise,  till  we  reach  the  high 
mountain  where  the  God  of  gods  is  seen  in 
Zion. 

And,  since  we  must  ascend  Jacob's  ladder 
before  we  descend,  let  us  place  the  first  step 
in  the  ascent  at  the  bottom,  holding  up  this 
whole  sensible  world  before  us  as  a  mirror, 
through  which  we  may  rise  to  God,  the  su- 
preme artificer,  that  we  may  be  true  Hebrews, 

13 


2Dtb0tional  Classics? 

passing  forth  from  Egypt  to  the  land  prom- 
ised to  our  fathers;  also  that  we  may  be 
Christians,  passing  forth  with  Christ  from 
this  world  to  the  Father;  and  that  we  may 
be  lovers  of  wisdom,  that  calleth  and  saith: 
''Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  desire  me,  and 
be  ye  filled  with  mine  offspring"  (Eccles. 
24: 20).  "For,  from  the  greatness  and  beau- 
ty of  created  things,  their  Creator  may  be 
seen  and  known"  (Wisd.  of  Sol.  13 :  5).  The 
supreme  power,  wisdom,  and  benevolence  of 
the  Creator  is  reflected  in  all  created  things, 
as  is  reported  in  threefold  fashion  by  the 
sense  of  the  flesh  to  the  interior  sense.  For 
the  sense  of  the  flesh  lends  itself  to  the  in- 
tellect when  it  investigates  with  reason,  be- 
lieves with  faith,  or  contemplates  with  in- 
tellect. In  contemplating,  it  considers  the 
actual  existence  of  things;  in  believing,  their 
habitual  course;  in  reasoning,  their  potential 
pre-excellence. 

The  first  point  of  view,  which  is  that  of 
contemplation,  considering  things  in  them- 
selves, sees  in  them  weight,  number,  and 
measure;  weight,  which  marks  the  point  to 
which  they  tend;  number,  whereby  they  are 
distinguished;  measure,  whereby  they  are 
limited;  and  hereby  it  sees  in  them  mode, 
species,  order,  as  well  as  substance,  virtue, 
and  action,  from  which  it  may  rise,  as  from 

14 


Btnofeenttttfi 

footsteps,  to  understand  the  power,  wisdom, 
and  boundless  goodness  of  the  Creator. 

The  second  point  of  view,  which  is  that 
of  faith,  considering  this  world,  attends  to 
its  origin,  course,  and  termination.  For  by 
faith  we  believe  that  the  ages  were  arranged 
by  the  word  of  life  (Heb.  11 :  3)  ;  by  faith  we 
believe  that  the  epochs  of  the  three  laws — 
the  law  of  nature,  the  law  of  Scripture,  and 
the  law  of  grace — succeed  each  other  and 
have  elapsed  in  the  most  perfect  order;  by 
faith  we  believe  that  the  world  will  be  ter- 
minated by  a  final  judgment.  In  the  first 
we  observe  the  power;  in  the  second,  the 
providence;  in  the  third,  the  justice  of  the 
supreme  principle. 

The  third  point  of  view — that  of  reason — 
investigating,  sees  that  some  things  are  only, 
and  some  are  and  live  only,  whereas  some 
are,  live,  and  discern;  and  that  the  first  are 
inferior;  the  second,  middle;  the  third,  su- 
perior. It  sees,  likewise,  that  some  are  only 
corporeal,  and  some  partly  corporeal,  partly 
spiritual;  whence  it  concludes  that  there  are 
some  purely  spiritual,  as  better  and  worthier 
than  either.  It  sees,  moreover,  that  some  are 
mutable  and  corruptible,  as  terrestrial  things ; 
others  mutable  and  incorruptible,  as  celestial 
things;  whence  it  concludes  that  some  are 
immutable  and  incorruptible,  as  superceles- 

15 


tial  things.  From  these  visible  things  there- 
fore it  rises  to  consider  God's  power,  wisdom," 
and  goodness,  as  being,  living,  and  intelli- 
gent, as  purely  spiritual,  incorruptible,  and 
intransmutable.  This  consideration,  again, 
is  extended  according  to  the  sevenfold  con- 
dition of  created  things,  which  is  the  seven- 
fold witness  of  the  divine  power,  wisdom,  and 
goodness,  if  we  consider  the  origin,  magni- 
tude, multitude,  beauty,  plenitude,  action, 
and  order  of  all  things.  For  the  origin  of 
things,  in  respect  to  creation,  distinction,  and 
adornment,  as  far  as  the  works  of  the  six  days 
are  concerned,  proclaims  the  divine  power, 
producing  all  things  from  nothing ;  the  divine 
wisdom,  as  clearly  distinguishing  all  things; 
the  divine  goodness,  as  generously  adorning 
all  things.  The  magnitude  of  things — in  re- 
spect to  the  bulk  of  length,  breadth,  and 
depth;  in  respect  to  the  excellence  of  the 
power  extending  itself  in  length,  breadth,  and 
depth,  as  is  manifest  in  the  diffusion  of  light ; 
in  respect  to  the  efficacy  of  action,  intimate, 
continuous,  and  diffused  as  is  manifested  in 
the  action  of  fire — clearly  indicates  the  im- 
mensity of  the  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness 
of  the  threefold  God,  who  exists  uncircum- 
scribed  in  all  created  things,  through  power, 
presence,  and  essence.  The  multitude  of 
things — in  respect  to  their  diversity,  general, 

16 


Bonabrntura 

special,  and  individual,  in  substance,  in  form 
or  figure,  and  in  efficacy,  beyond  all  human 
estimation — manifestly  involves  and  displays 
the  immensity  of  the  three  above-named  con- 
ditions in  God.  The  beauty  of  things — in  re- 
spect to  the  variety  of  lights,  figures,  and  col- 
ors, in  bodies  simple,  mixed,  and  organized,  as 
in  the  heavenly  bodies  and  minerals,  as  in 
stones  and  metals,  plants  and  animals — plain- 
ly proclaims  the  above  three  things.  The  pleni- 
tude of  things — in  that  matter  is  full  of  forms, 
in  respect  to  seminal  reasons,  form  is  full  of 
virtue  as  to  active  power,  and  virtue  is  full 
of  effects  as  to  efficiency — manifestly  declares 
this  same  thing.  Action,  manifold,  according 
as  it  is  natural,  artificial,  or  moral  by  its 
most  manifold  variety,  shows  the  immensity 
of  that  power,  art,  and  goodness  which  in- 
deed is  to  all  things  the  cause  of  being,  the 
ground  of  understanding,  and  the  order  of 
living.  Order,  in  respect  to  the  ratio  of  dura- 
tion, situation,  and  influence — that  is,  to 
sooner  or  later,  higher  or  lower,  nobler  or 
baser — in  the  book  of  creation,  clearly  mani- 
fests the  primacy,  sublimity,  and  divinity  of 
the  first  principle  in  regard  to  infinity  of 
power,  while  the  order  of  the  divine  laws,  pre- 
cepts, and  judgments  in  the  book  of  Scrip- 
ture manifests  the  immensity  of  his  wisdom; 
and  the  order  of  the  divine  sacraments,  bene- 

III— 2  17 


Dcbotional  Classic^ 

fits,  and  retributions  in  the  body  of  the 
Church  manifests  the  immensity  of  his  good- 
ness, so  that  order  itself  most  evidently  leads 
us  by  the  hand  to  that  which  is  first  and  high- 
est, mightiest,  and  wisest  and  best.  He,  there- 
fore, who  is  not  enlightened  by  all  these  splen- 
dors of  created  things  is  blind ;  he  who  is  not 
waked  by  such  callings  is  deaf;  he  who  from 
all  these  effects  does  not  praise  God  is  dumb ; 
he  who  after  such  intimation  does  not  observe 
the  first  principle  is  foolish. 

Open,  therefore,  thine  eyes ;  draw  near  thy 
spiritual  ears ;  unseal  thy  lips,  and  apply  thy 
heart,  that  in  all  created  things  thou  mayest 
see,  hear,  praise,  love,  magnify,  and  honor 
God,  lest  peradventure  the  universal  frame 
of  things  should  rise  up  against  thee.  Yea, 
for  this  the  universe  will  fight  against  them 
that  are  without  senses,  whereas  to  them  that 
have  senses  it  will  be  a  matter  of  glory,  who 
can  say  with  the  prophet:  "Thou,  Lord,  hast 
made  me  glad  through  thy  work;  1  will  tri- 
umph in  the  works  of  thy  hands"  (Ps.  92 :  4) . 
"0  Lord,  how  manifold  are  thy  works!  In 
wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all.  The  earth 
is  full  of  thy  riches"  (Ps.  104:  24). 


18 


TSonabrntuca 

II 

On  tfjt  Sdjolbing  of  C5ot>  Jn 

3fn  t|e  fernsiblr  blotto 


But  since,  as  regards  the  mirror  of  sensi- 
ble things,  we  may  contemplate  God,  not  only 
through  them  as  through  footsteps,  but  also 
in  them  in  so  far  as  he  is  in  them  by  essence, 
power,  and  presence,  and  this  consideration 
is  loftier  than  the  preceding;  wherefore  this 
kind  of  consideration  occupies  the  second 
place,  as  the  second  grade  of  contemplation, 
whereby  we  must  be  guided  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  God  in  all  created  things,  which  enter 
our  minds  through  the  bodily  senses. 

We  must  observe,  therefore,  that  this  sensi- 
ble world,  which  is  called  the  macrocosm  — 
that  is,  the  long  world  —  enters  into  our  soul, 
which  is  called  the  microcosm  —  that  is,  the 
little  world  —  through  the  gates  of  the  five 
senses,  as  regards  the  apprehension,  delecta- 
tion, and  distinction  of  these  sensible  things; 
which  is  manifest  in  this  way  :  in  the  sensible 
world  some  things  are  generant,  others  are 
generated,  and  others  direct  both  these. 
Generant  are  the  simple  bodies,  that  is,  the 
celestial  bodies  and  the  four  elements.  For 
out  of  the  elements,  through  the  power  of 
light,  reconciling  the  contrariety  of  elements 

19 


SDibotional 

in  things  mixed,  are  generated  and  produced 
whatever  things  are  generated  and  produced 
by  the  operation  of  natural  power.  Generat- 
ed are  the  bodies  composed  of  the  elements, 
as  minerals,  vegetables,  sensible  things,  and 
human  bodies.  Directing  both  these  and 
those  are  the  spiritual  substances,  whether 
altogether  conjunct,  like  the  souls  of  the 
brutes;  or  separably  conjunct,  like  rational 
souls,  or  altogether  separate,  like  the  celestial 
spirits,  which  the  philosophers  call  intelli- 
gences, we  angels.  On  these,  according  to  the 
philosophers,  it  devolves  to  move  the  heavenly 
bodies,  and  for  this  reason  the  administra- 
tion of  the  universe  is  ascribed  to  them,  as 
receiving  from  the  First  Cause — that  is,  God 
— that  inflow  of  virtue  which  they  pour  forth 
again  in  relation  to  the  work  of  government, 
which  has  reference  to  the  natural  consis- 
tence of  things.  But,  according  to  the  theo- 
logians, the  direction  of  the  universe  is 
ascribed  to  these  same  beings,  as  regards  the 
works  of  redemption,  with  respect  to  which 
they  are  called  "ministering  spirits  sent  forth 
to  do  service  for  the  sake  of  them  that  shall 
inherit  salvation"  (Heb.  1: 14). 

Man,  therefore,  who  is  called  the  lesser 
world,  has  five  senses,  like  five  gates,  through 
which  the  knowledge  of  al]  the  things  that 
are  in  the  sensible  world  enters  into  his  soul. 

20 


For  through  sight  there  enter  the  sublime 
and  luminous  bodies  and  all  other  colored 
things;  through  touch,  solid  and  terrestrial 
bodies ;  through  the  three  intermediate  senses, 
the  intermediate  bodies;  through  taste,  the 
aqueous ;  through  hearing,  the  aerial ;  through 
smell,  the  vaporable,  which  have  something 
of  the  humid,  something  of  the  aerial,  and 
something  of  the  fiery  or  hot,  as  is  clear  from 
the  fumes  that  are  liberated  from  spices. 
There  enter,  therefore,  through  these  doors 
not  only  the  simple  bodies,  but  also  the  mixed 
bodies  compounded  of  these.  Seeing,  then, 
that  with  sense  we  perceive  not  only  these 
particular  sensibles — light,  sound,  odor,  savor, 
and  the  four  primary  qualities  which  touch 
apprehends — but  also  the  common  sensibles 
— number,  magnitude,  figure,  rest,  and  mo- 
tion ;  and  seeing  that  everything  which  moves 
is  moved  by  something  else,  and  certain  things 
move  and  rest  of  themselves,  as  do  the  ani- 
mals in  apprehending  through  these  five 
senses  the  motions  of  bodies,  we  are  guided 
to  the  knowledge  of  spiritual  motions,  as  by 
an  effect,  to  the  knowledge  of  causes. 

In  the  three  classes  of  things,  therefore,  the 
whole  of  this  sensible  world  enters  the  human 
soul  through  apprehension.  These  external 
sensible  things  are  those  which  first  enter  into 
the  soul  through  the  gates  of  the  five  senses. 

21 


SDebotional  Classics 

They  enter,  I  say,  not  through  their  sub- 
stances, but  through  their  similitudes,  gen- 
erated first  in  the  medium,  and  from  the  me- 
dium in  the  external  organ,  and  from  the 
external  organ  in  the  internal  organ,  and 
from  this  in  the  apprehensive  power;  and 
thus  generation  in  the  medium,  and  from  the 
medium  in  the  organ,  and  the  direction  of  the 
apprehensive  power  upon  it,  produce  the  ap- 
prehension of  all  those  things  which  the  soul 
apprehends  externally. 

This  apprehension,  if  it  is  directed  to  a 
proper  object,  is  followed  by  delight.  The 
sense  delights  in  the  object  perceived  through 
its  abstract  similitude,  either  by  reason  of 
its  beauty,  as  in  vision,  or  by  reason  of  its 
sweetness,  as  in  smell  and  hearing,  or  by 
reason  of  its  healthfulness,  as  in  taste  and 
touch,  properly  speaking.  But  all  delight 
is  by  reason  of  proportion.  But  since  species 
is  the  ground  of  form,  power,  and  action,  ac- 
cording as  it  has  reference  to  the  principle 
from  which  it  emanates,  the  medium  into 
which  it  passes,  or  the  term  upon  which  it 
acts,  therefore  proportion  is  observed  in  three 
things:  it  is  observed  in  similitude,  inasmuch 
as  it  forms  the  ground  of  species  or  form, 
and  so  is  called  speciosity,  because  beauty  is 
nothing  but  numerical  equality,  or  a  certain 
disposition  of  parts  accompanied  with  sweet- 

22 


BonabnUtira 

ness  of  color.  It  is  observed  in  so  far  as  it 
forms  the  ground  of  power  or  virtue,  and 
thus  is  called  sweetness,  when  the  active  vir- 
tue does  not  disproportionally  exceed  the  re- 
cipient virtue,  because  the  sense  is  deprest 
by  extremes  and  delighted  by  means.  It  is 
observed  in  so  far  as  it  forms  the  ground  of 
efficacy  and  impression,  which  is  proportional 
when  the  agent,  in  impressing,  satisfies  the 
need  of  the  patient,  and  this  is  to  preserve 
and  nourish  it,  as  appears  chiefly  in  taste  and 
touch.  And  thus  we  see  how,  by  pleasure, 
external  delightful  things  enter  through  sim- 
ilitude into  the  soul,  according  to  the  three- 
fold method  of  delectation. 

After  this  apprehension  and  delight  there 
comes  discernment,  by  which  we  not  only 
discern  whether  this  thing  be  white  or  black 
(because  this  alone  belongs  to  the  outer  sense), 
and  whether  this  thing  be  wholesome  or  hurt- 
ful (because  this  belongs  to  the  inner  sense), 
but  also  discern  why  this  delights,  and  give 
a  reason  therefore.  And  in  this  act  we  in- 
quire into  the  reason  of  the  delight  which 
is  derived  by  the  sense  from  the  object.  This 
happens  when  we  inquire  into  the  reason  of 
the  beautiful,  the  sweet,  and  the  wholesome, 
and  discover  that  it  is  a  proportion  of  equal- 
ity. But  a  ratio  of  equality  is  the  same  in 
great  things  and  in  small.  It  is  not  extended 

23 


SDebotional 

1>y  dimensions ;  it  does  not  enter  into  suc- 
cession, or  pass  with  passing  things;  it  is 
not  altered  by  motions.  It  abstracts,  there- 
fore, from  place,  time,  and  motion,  and  for 
this  reason  it  is  immutable,  uncircumscrib- 
able,  interminable,  and  altogether  spiritual. 
Discernment,  then,  is  an  action  which,  by 
purifying  and  abstracting,  makes  the  sensi- 
ble species,  sensibly  received  through  the 
senses,  enter  into  the  intellective  power.  And 
thus  the  whole  of  this  world  enters  into  the 
human  soul  by  the  gates  of  the  five  senses, 
according  to  the  three  aforesaid  activities. 
All  these  things  are  footprints  in  which  we 
may  behold  our  God.  For,  since  an  appre- 
hended species  is  a  similitude  generated  in 
a  medium  and  then  imprest  upon  the  or- 
gan, and  through  that  impression  leads  to 
the  knowledge  of  its  principle — that  is,  of  its 
object — it  manifestly  implies  that  that  eter- 
nal light  generates  from  itself  a  similitude, 
or  splendor,  coequal,  consubstantial,  and  co- 
eternal,  and  that  he  who  is  the  image  and 
similitude  of  the  invisible  God,  and  the  splen- 
dor of  the  glory,  and  the  figure  of  the  sub- 
stance which  is  everywhere,  generates  by  his 
first  generation  of  himself  his  own  similitude 
in  the  form  of  an  object  in  the  entire  medium, 
unites  himself,  by  the  grace  of  union,  to  the 
individual  or  rational  nature,  as  a  species 

24 


to  a  bodily  organ,  so  that  by  this  union  he 
may  lead  us  back  to  the  Father  as  the  fontal 
principle  and  object.  If,  therefore,  all  cog- 
nizable things  generate  species  of  themselves, 
they  clearly  proclaim  that  in  them,  as  in 
mirrors,  may  be  seen  the  eternal  generation 
of  the  "Word,  the  Image,  and  the  Son,  eter- 
nally emanating  from  God  the  Father. 

According  to  this  mode,  the  pleasing  species 
— as  species,  sweet  and  wholesome — implies 
that  the  first  speciosity,  sweetness,  and  whole- 
someness  are  in  that  first  species  in  which  are 
the  highest  proportionality  and  equality  to  the 
generant  principle;  in  which  is  virtue 
gliding  into  the  apprehension,  not  through 
phantasms,  but  through  truth ;  and  in  which  is 
an  impression,  saving,  sufficient,  and  expel- 
ling all  want  on  the  part  of  the  apprehender. 
If,  then,  delight  is  the  conjunction  of  the 
suitable  with  the  suitable,  and  only  the  simili- 
tude of  God  forms  the  ground  of  that  which 
is  supremely  specious,  sweet,  and  wholesome, 
and  is  united  according  to  truth,  to  inward- 
ness, and  to  fulness  filling  all  capacity,  we 
may  see  clearly  that  in  God  alone  is  fontal  and 
true  delight,  and  that  we  are  let  to  seek  this 
by  all  delights. 

But,  by  a  still  more  excellent  and  more 
immediate  mode,  discernment  leads  us  to  a 
surer  beholding  of  eternal  truth.  For,  if 

25 


SDrbotional  Classics 

discernment  is  conducted  by  reason  abstract- 
ing from  place,  time,  and  mutability,  and 
hence  from  dimension,  succession,  and  trans- 
mutation, by  reason  immutable,  uncircum- 
scribable,  and  interminable — and  there  is 
nothing  at  all  immutable,  uncircumscrib- 
able,  and  interminable  save  the  eternal — 
and  all  the  eternal  is  either  God  or  in 
God;  if,  therefore,  we  discern  by  this  sort 
of  reason  whatever  we  discern  with  clearness, 
it  is  plain  that  he  is  the  reason  of  all  things, 
the  infallible  rule,  and  the  light  of  truth,  in 
which  all  things  are  reflected  infallibly,  in- 
delibly, indubitably,  irrefragably,  indijudi- 
cably,  unchangeably,  unconfinably,  intermin- 
ably, indivisibly,  and  intellectually.  And, 
therefore,  those  laws  whereby  we  judge  with 
certainty  concerning  all  the  sensible  things 
which  come  under  our  consideration  being 
infallible  and  indubitable  to  the  intellect  of 
the  apprehender,  indelible  from  the  memory 
of  the  recollector,  as  being  always  present, 
irrefragable,  and  indijudicable  to  the  intel- 
lect of  the  judger,  because,  as  Augustine 
says,  no  one  judges  concerning  them,  but 
only  through  them,  they  must  needs  be  un- 
changeable and  incorruptible,  as  being  nec- 
essary; unconfinable,  as  being  uncircum- 
scribed ;  interminable,  as  being  eternal ;  and 
hence  indivisible,  as  being  intellectual  and 

26 


Bonabtntura 

incorporeal ;  not  made,  but  increate ;  existing 
eternally  in  the  eternal  art,  from  which, 
through  which,  and  according  to  which  all 
specious  or  beautiful  things  are  formed.  And, 
therefore,  they  can  not  with  certainty  be 
judged  except  by  that  which  was  not  only 
the  form  producing  all  things,  but  also  the 
form  preserving  and  distinguishing  all  things, 
inasmuch  as  it  is  being,  which  in  all  things 
is  form,  directive  rule,  and  that  whereby  our 
minds  distinguish  all  those  things  that  enter 
them  through  the  senses. 

But  this  speculation  is  extended  according 
to  the  consideration  of  the  seven  differences 
of  the  numbers  by  which,  as  by  seven  steps, 
we  ascend  to  God,  as  Augustine  shows  in  his 
work  "On  True  Religion"  and  in  the  sixth 
book  of  his  treatise  on  "Music,"  wherein  he 
fixes  the  differences  of  the  numbers  that 
gradually  ascend  from  these  sensible  things 
to  the  Artificer  of  all,  so  that  God  is  seen 
in  all  things.  He  says  that  there  are  numbers 
in  bodies,  and  especially  in  sounds  and  voices, 
and  these  he  calls  sonant  numbers ;  that  there 
are  numbers  abstracted  from  these  and  re- 
ceived into  our  senses,  and  these  he  calls  oc- 
cursors;  that  there  are  numbers  proceeding 
from  the  soul  into  the  body,  as  is  -shown  in 
gestures  and  dances,  and  these  he  calls  pro- 
gressors;  that  there  are  numbers  in  the  de- 

27 


Dcbctional  Glas'oicgf 

lights  of  the  senses  and  in  the  turning  of  the 
intention  to  the  received  species,  and  these  he 
calls  sensual  numbers ;  that  there  are  numbers 
retained  in  the  memory,  and  these  he  calls 
memorial  numbers;  and,  finally,  that  there 
are  numbers  by  which  we  judge  concerning 
all  these  things,  and  these  he  calls  judicial 
numbers.  These,  as  has  been  said,  are  neces- 
sarily above  the  mind,  as  being  infallible  and 
indijudicable.  By  these  are  imprest  upon 
our  minds  the  artificial  numbers,  which  Au- 
gustine does  not  enumerate  among  those 
grades,  because  they  are  connected  with  the 
judicial  numbers ;  and  from  these  emanate  the 
progressors,  from  which  are  created  the  beau- 
tiful forms  of  artificial  things;  so  that  there 
is  an  orderly  descent  from  the  highest, 
through  the  medial,  to  the  lowest.  To  these 
also  let  us  ascend  from  the  sonant  numbers, 
through  the  occursors,  the  sensual,  and  the 
memorial. 

Since,  therefore,  all  things  are  beautiful 
and,  in  a  certain  way,  delightful,  and  since 
beauty  and  delight  are  inseparable  from  pro- 
portion, and  proportion  is  primarily  in  num- 
bers, all  things  must  of  necessity  be  full  of 
number.  For  this  reason,  number  is  the  chief 
exemplar  in  the  mind  of  the  artificer,  and  in 
things  the  chief  footprint  leading  to  wisdom. 
Since  this  is  most  manifest  to  all  and  most 
close  to  God,  it  leads  us  most  closely  and  by 

28 


25onabnttura 

seven  differences  to  God,  and  makes  him 
known  in  all  things,  corporeal  and  sensible. 
And,  while  we  apprehend  numerical  things, 
we  delight  in  numerical  proportions,  and 
judge  irrefragably  by  the  laws  of  these. 

From  these  first  two  steps,  whereby  we  are 
guided  to  the  beholding  of  God  in  his  foot- 
prints after  the  manner,  as  it  were,  of  the 
two  wings  descending  about  the  (seraph's) 
feet,  we  may  gather  that  all  the  created  things 
of  this  sensible  world  lead  the  mind  of  the 
contemplant  and  wise  man  to  the  eternal  God, 
and  this  for  the  reason  that  of  this  first  prin- 
ciple, mightiest,  wisest,  best  of  this  eternal 
origin,  light  and  fulness,  of  this  art  efficient, 
exemplant,  ordinant,  they  are  shadows,  echoes, 
and  pictures,  footprints,  images,  and  specta- 
cles, set  before  us  for  the  beholding  of  God, 
and  signs  divinely  given.  These,  I  say,  are, 
so  to  speak,  exemplars,  or  rather  examples, 
set  before  minds  still  rude  and  sensual,  so 
that,  through  the  sensible  things  which  they 
see,  they  may  be  transported  to  intelligible 
things  which  they  do  not  see,  as  through 
signs  to  the  things  signified.  And  such  creat- 
ed things  of  this  sensible  world  signify  the 
invisible  things  of  the  invisible  God,  partly 
because  God  is  the  origin,  exemplar,  and  end 
of  all  created  things  (and  every  effect  is  a 
sign  of  its  cause,  an  example  of  its  exemplar, 
and  a  path  to  the  end  whereunto  it  leads), 

29 


SDibottonal 

partly  through  representation  proper,  partly 
through  prophetic  prefiguration,  partly 
through  angelic  action,  and  partly  through 
superadded  instruction.  For  every  creature 
is  by  nature  an  effigy  and  similitude  of  that 
eternal  wisdom ;  but  especially  so  is  that  crea- 
ture which  in  the  book  of  Scripture  was  as- 
sumed by  the  spirit  of  prophecy  for  the  pre- 
figuration of  spiritual  things ;  more  especially 
those  creatures  in  whose  effigy  God  was  will- 
ing to  appear  for  the  angelic  ministry;  and 
most  especially  that  creature  which  he  was 
willing  to  set  forth  as  a  sign,  and  which  plays 
the  part  not  only  of  a  sign,  as  that  word  is 
commonly  used,  but  also  of  a  sacrament.  From 
all  this  we  gather  that  "the  invisible  things 
of  God,  since  the  creation  of  the  world,  are 
clearly  seen,  being  perceived  through  the 
things  that  are  made  (Rom.  1:20),  so  that 
those  who  will  not  observe  these  things  and 
recognize,  bless,  and  love  God  in  all  these 
things,  are  without  excuse,  since  they  will 
not  be  transported  from  darkness  to  the  won- 
drous light  of  God"  (Rom.  1:21).  But, 
thanks  be  to  God,  through  our  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ,  who  has  transported  us  from  darkness 
into  his  wondrous  light,  inasmuch  as  we  are 
disposed,  by  these  lights  given  from  without, 
to  re-enter  the  mirror  of  our  minds,  in  which 
the  divine  things  are  reflected. 

30 


III 

tyt  l&t%oMn$  ot  (Koto  Ojrougf) 

3magr  Smprcst  Opon  tfic  Natural 

patorrs 

But,  since  the  two  grades  above  described, 
leading  us  to  God  by  his  footprints,  whereby 
he  is  reflected  in  all  created  things,  have 
guided  us  to  the  point  where  we  entered  into 
ourselves — that  is,  into  our  minds,  in  which 
the  divine  image  is  reflected — we  must  now, 
in  the  third  place,  enter  into  ourselves,  and 
leaving,  as  it  were,  the  fore-court  outside,  en- 
deavor, through  a  mirror,  to  see  God  in  the 
holy  place  that  is,  in  the  forepart  of  the  Tab- 
ernacle— wherein,  as  from  a  candlestick,  the 
light  of  truth  is  reflected  on  the  faces  of  our 
minds  in  which,  indeed,  is  resplendent  the 
image  of  the  blessed  Trinity. 

Enter,  therefore,  into  thyself  and  see  that 
thy  mind  loves  itself  most  fervently,  and 
could  not  love  itself  if  it  did  not  know  itself, 
or  know  itself  if  it  did  not  remember  itself, 
since  we  seize  nothing  through  intelligence 
that  is  not  present  in  our  memory.  And 
hereby  thou  perceivest,  not  with  the  eye  of 
flesh  but  with  the  eye  of  reason,  that  thy  soul 
has  a  threefold  power.  Consider,  therefore, 
the  operations  and  habits  of  these  three 

31 


jSDebotional 

powers,  and  thou  wilt  be  able  to  see  God 
through  thyself,  as  through  a  likeness,  and 
this  is  seeing  him  through  a  glass  and  in  a 
riddle  (1  Cor.  13:12). 

But  the  operation  of  memory  is  retention 
and  re-presentation,  not  only  of  things  pres- 
ent, corporeal,  and  temporal,  but  also  of 
things  successive,  simple,  and  sempiternal. 
For  the  memory  retains  past  things  through 
recollection,  present  things  through  susce.p- 
tion,  future  things  through  foresight.  It  re- 
tains also  simple  things;  for  example,  the 
principles  of  continuous  and  discreet  quanti- 
ties, as  point,  instant,  unity,  without  which 
it  is  impossible  to  remember  or  to  think  the 
things  which  have  these  for  their  principles. 
No  less  does  it  retain,  as  sempiternal  and 
sempiternally,  the  principles  and  dignities  of 
the  sciences,  because  it  can  never  so  forget 
them,  while  it  uses  reason,  that  it  will  not 
accept  them  and  assent  to  them  as  soon  as  it 
hears  them,  and  this  not  as  if  it  perceived 
them  afresh,  but  as  recognizing  them  to  be 
innate  in  itself  and  familiar.  This  becomes 
clear  as  soon  as  we  propose  to  any  one  a 
choice  between  affirmation  and  negation  with 
regard  to  anything,  whether  "every  whole 
is  greater  than  its  part,"  or  whatever  other 
dignity,  being  above  contradiction,  is  admit- 
ted by  reason.  From  the  first  actual  reten- 

32 


25onabnttura 

tion,  therefore,  of  temporal  things — that  is, 
of  things  past,  present,  and  future — it  re- 
ceives an  image  of  eternity,  whose  indivisible 
present  extends  to  all  times.  From  the  sec- 
ond it  appears  that  it  must  not  only  be  in- 
formed from  without,  through  phantasms, 
but  also  from  above,  by  taking  up  and  having 
in  itself  simple  forms  which  can  not  enter 
through  the  gates  of  the  senses  and  the  phan- 
tasms of  sensible  things.  From  the  third  we 
learn  that  it  has  present  in  it  an  unchange- 
able light,  in  which  it  remembers  the  unvary- 
ing truths.  And  thus,  through  the  opera- 
tions of  the  memory,  it  appears  that  the  mind 
itself  is  an  image  of  God,  and  a  similitude 
so  present  to  him,  and  having  him  so  present 
to  it  that  it  actually  grasps  him,  is  potentially 
capable  of  holding  him,  and  may  become  a 
partaker  in  him. 

Again,  the  operation  of  the  intellective 
power  consists  in  the  perception  of  the  mean- 
ing of  terms,  propositions,  and  inferences. 
But  the  intellect  seizes  the  meanings  of  terms 
when  it  comprehends,  by  definition,  what  any 
particular  thing  is.  But  a  definition  can  be 
made  only  through  higher  notions,  and  these 
have  to  be  defined  by  still  higher  ones,  until 
we  arrive  at  the  highest  and  most  general, 
without  a  knowledge  of  which  the  lower  ones 
can  not  be  definitely  understood.  Unless, 

III— 3  33 


Classics 

therefore,  we  know  what  being-in-itself  is,  we 
can  not  know  the  definition  of  any  special 
substance.  But  being-in-itself  can  not  be 
known  unless  it  is  known  along  with  its  con- 
ditions, which  are  unity,  truth,  and  good- 
ness. But,  since  being  can  be  thought  as 
diminished  and  as  complete,  as  imperfect  and 
as  perfect,  as  potential  and  as  actual,  as  rela- 
tive and  as  absolute,  as  partial  and  as  total, 
as  transient  and  as  permanent,  as  through  an- 
other and  as  through  itself,  as  mixed  with 
non-being  and  as  pure,  as  dependent  and  as 
absolute,  as  posterior  and  as  prior,  as  muta- 
ble and  as  immutable,  as  simple  and  as  com- 
pound— since  the  privations  and  defects  can 
in  no  degree  be  known  save  through  the  posi- 
tives, our  intellect,  as  being  purely  analytical, 
does  not  attain  an  understanding  of  any 
created  entity,  unless  it  be  aided  by  the  un- 
derstanding of  that  being  which  is  altogether 
pure,  altogether  actual,  altogether  complete 
and  absolute,  which  is  simply  and  eternally 
being,  in  which  are  thfr^ounds  of  all  things 
in  their  purity.  How^rolieed,  should  our 
intellect  know  that  this  being  is  a  defective 
and  incomplete  being,  if  it  had  no  knowledge 
of  that  being  which  is  without  all  defect? 
And  so  on  of  the  other  conditions  above  speci- 
fied. But  our  intellect  is  then  said  to  compre- 
hend truly  the  meaning  of  propositions  when 

34 


aSonabrntuta 

it  knows  with  certainty  that  they  are  true; 
and  to  know  this  is  to  know,  since  it  can  not 
be  deceived  in  that  comprehension;  for  it 
knows  that  that  truth  can  not  be  otherwise. 
It  knows,  therefore,  that  this  truth  is  un- 
changeable. But  since  our  minds  are 
changeable,  they  can  not  see  that  truth  un- 
changeably reflected  except  by  some  other 
light  which  radiates  altogether  unchangeably, 
and  this  can  not  possibly  be  a  mutable,  creat- 
ed thing.  It  knows,  therefore,  in  that  light 
which  lighteth  every  man  as  he  cometh  into 
the  world  (John  1:9).  This  is  the  true  light 
which  in  the  beginning  was  with  God  (John 
1:1).  Our  intellect,  then,  truly  perceives  the 
meaning  of  an  inference  when  it  sees  that 
the  conclusion  necessarily  follows  from  the 
premises.  This  it  sees  not  only  in  necessary, 
but  also  in  contingent  terms ;  as,  for  example^ 
in  this :  if  a  man  runs,  a  man  moves.  Again, 
he  perceives  this  necessary  habit  not  only  in 
things  that  are,  but  also  in  things  that  are 
not.  For  example,  the  affirmation:  if  a  man 
runs,  a  man  moves,  is  equally  true  whether 
a  man  exist  or  do  not  exist.  Hence  the  neces- 
sity of  this  sort  of  inference  does  not  come 
from  the  existence  of  the  thing  in  matter, 
because  that  is  contingent ;  nor  from  the  ex- 
istence of  the  thing  in  the  soul,  because 
then  it  would  be  a  fiction  if  it  were  not  in 

35 


the  thing.  It  comes,  therefore,  from  the 
exemplarity  in  the  eternal  art,  according 
to  which  things  have  mutually  an  aptitude 
and  habit  for  the  representation  of  that  eter- 
nal art.  Hence,  as  Augustine  says  in  his 
treatise  on  ''The  True  Religion,"  the  light 
of  every  man  who  reasons  truly  is  lit  by  that 
truth,  and  endeavors  to  arrive  at  that  truth; 
from  which  it  is  obvious  that  our  intellect 
is  joined  to  the  eternal  truth  itself,  inasmuch 
as  it  can  grasp  no  truth  with  certainty  ex- 
cept through  its  teaching.  Thou  mayest, 
therefore,  of  thyself  see  the  truth  which 
teaches  thee,  if  appetites  and  phantasms  do 
not  prevent  thee  and  interpose  themselves, 
as  clouds,  between  thee  and  the  ray  of  the 
truth. 

The  action  of  the  power  of  choice  is  ob- 
served in  counsel,  judgment,  desire.  Counsel 
consists  in  inquiring  which  is  better — this  or 
that.  By  "better"  we  mean  approaching 
more  closely  to  the  best.  But  approach  im- 
plies greater  assimilation.  No  one,  therefore, 
knows  whether  this  is  better  than  that,  un- 
less he  knows  that  it  more  closely  resembles 
the  best.  And  no  one  knows  that  one  thing 
more  closely  resembles  another,  unless  he 
knows  that  other.  For  I  do  not  know  that 
this  man  resembles  Peter,  unless  I  know  or 
am  acquainted  with  Peter.  Every  one,  there- 

36 


fore,  who  takes  counsel  is  imprest  with  the 
knowledge  of  the  highest  good.  But  any  cer- 
tain judgment  with  respect  to  things  about 
which  counsel  can  be  taken  must  follow  some 
law.  And  no  one  judges  with  certainty  ac- 
cording to  a  law,  unless  he  is  certain  that 
that  law  is  right  and  that  he  must  not  judge 
it.  But  our  minds  judge  with  regard  to 
themselves.  Since,  then,  they  may  not  judge 
the  law  according  to  which  they  judge,  that 
law  is  superior  to  our  minds,  and  by  this 
they  judge  according  as  it  has  been  imprest 
upon  them.  And  nothing  is  superior  to  the 
human  mind  save  him  alone  who  made  it. 
Therefore,  in  judging,  our  deliberative  power 
ascends  to  the  divine  laws,  if  it  analyze  with 
complete  analysis.  Desire,  again,  is  chiefly 
directed  to  that  which  most  deeply  moves  it. 
But  that  moves  it  most  deeply  which  is  most 
deeply  loved;  and  that  which  is  most  deeply 
loved  is  happiness.  Again  happiness  is  not 
possest  except  through  the  highest  and  ulti- 
mate end.  But  human  desire  craves  nothing 
save  the  highest  good,  or  what  is  co-ordinated 
with  it,  or  what  has  some  resemblance  to  it. 
Such  is  the  power  of  the  highest  good  that 
nothing  can  be  loved  by  the  creature  save 
through  the  desire  of  that  good.  The  crea- 
ture is  deceived  and  errs,  when  it  accepts 
the  semblance  and  image  for  the  truth. 

37 


£>rborional  Classics 

Behold,  therefore,  how  near  the  soul  is  to 
God,  and  how  memory  leads  to  eternity,  in- 
telligence to  truth,  and  power  of  choice  to 
the  highest  goodness,  according  to  their  opera- 
tions. Again,  according  to  the  order,  origin, 
and  habit  of  these  powers,  it  leads  up  to  the 
blessed  Trinity  itself;  for  from  memory  rises 
intelligence,  as  its  offspring;  because  then 
we  understand,  when  a  similitude  which  is 
in  the  memory  results  in  clearness  of  in- 
tellect, which  is  nothing  else  than  the  "Word. 
From  memory  and  intelligence  is  breathed 
forth  love,  as  the  bond  between  the  two.  These 
three — the  generant  mind,  the  word,  and  love 
— are  in  the  soul  as  memory,  intelligence,  and 
love,  which  are  consubstantial,  coequal,  and 
coeval,  reciprocally  passing  in  each  other. 
If,  therefore,  God  is  perfect  spirit,  he  has 
memory,  intelligence,  and  will ;  he  has  the  be- 
gotten Word  and  the  breathed  Love.  These 
are  necessarily  distinguished,  since  the  one 
is  produced  by  the  other,  not  essentially,  not 
accidentally;  therefore,  personally.  When, 
therefore,  the  mind  considers  itself,  it  rises 
through  itself,  as  through  a  mirror,  to  behold 
the  blessed  Trinity  of  Father,  Word,  and  Love 
— three  persons  coeternal,  coequal,  and  con- 
substantial — so  that  each  of  the  three  is  in 
each  of  the  other  two,  whereas  one  is  not  the 
other,  but  these  three  are  one  God. 

38 


To  this  beholding  of  its  own  principle,  three 
and  one,  through  the  trinity  of  its  own  powers, 
whereby  it  is  the  image  of  God,  the  soul  is 
aided  by  the  lights  of  the  sciences,  which 
perfect  and  inform  it,  and  in  three  ways 
represent  the  most  blessed  Trinity;  for  all 
philosophy  is  either  natural,  or  rational,  or 
moral.  The  first  treats  of  the  cause  of  being, 
and  therefore  leads  to  the  power  of  the 
Father;  the  second,  of  the  ground  of  under- 
standing, and  therefore  leads  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  Word ;  the  third,  of  the  order  of  living, 
and  therefore  leads  to  the  goodness  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Again,  the  first  is  divided  into 
metaphysics,  mathematics,  and  physics.  Of 
these,  the  first  treats  of  the  essence  of  things, 
the  second  of  their  numbers  and  figures,  the 
third  of  their  natures,  powers,  and  diffusive 
actions.  Hence,  the  first  leads  to  the  first 
principle,  the  Father ;  the  second  to  his  Image, 
the  Son;  the  third  to  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  second  is  divided  into  grammar 
which  imparts  power  of  expression;  logic, 
which  imparts  perspicacity  in  argument ;  rhet- 
oric, which  imparts  skill  in  persuading  or 
moving;  and  these,  in  like  manner  involve 
the  mystery  of  the  most  blessed  Trinity.  The 
third  is  divided  into  monastics,  economics, 
and  politics.  The  first  of  these  involves  the 
innascibility  of  the  First  Principle;  the  sec- 

39 


Classics* 

ond,  the  familiarity  of  the  Son;  the  third, 
the  liberality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  all 
these  sciences  have  fixt  and  infallible  rules, 
as  lights  and  rays  descending  from  the  eternal 
law  into  our  minds.  And  thus  our  minds,  be- 
ing irradiated  and  superfused  with  so  many 
splendors,  may,  if  they  be  not  blind,  be  led 
through  themselves  to  the  contemplation  of 
that  eternal  light.  And  the  irradiation  and 
consideration  of  this  light  lifts  up  the  wise 
into  admiration,  whereas  it  leads  the  foolish, 
who  do  not  believe  that  they  may  understand, 
into  confusion,  so  that  the  saying  of  the 
prophet  is  fulfilled :  ' '  Thou  shinest  wondrous- 
ly  from  the  eternal  hills :  all  the  foolish  were 
confounded  in  their  hearts"  (Ps.  76:5,  6). 


IV 

tije  SeDolfcinff  of  CS0&  3n  l^ig  Image, 
ag  10Uforme&  25g  C5iftg  of  CSrae* 


But  since,  not  only  by  passing  through  our- 
selves, but  also  within  ourselves,  we  may  be- 
hold the  First  Principle,  and  this  vision  is 
superior  to  the  preceding,  this  mode  of  con- 
sideration occupies  the  fourth  grade  of  con- 
templation. Strange  it  seems,  when  it  has 
been  shown  that  God  is  so  near  to  our  minds 
that  so  few  are  able  to  behold  the  First  Prin- 

40 


Bsmabentuta 

ciple  in  themselves.  But  the  reason  is  not 
far  to  seek.  The  human  mind,  distracted  by 
cares,  does  not  enter  into  itself  through  mem- 
ory; beclouded  with  phantasms,  it  does  not 
return  to  itself  through  intelligence;  allured 
by  appetites,  it  does  not  revert  to  itself 
through  desire  for  internal  sweetness  and 
spiritual  joy.  Wherefore,  being  totally  pros- 
trate among  these  sensible  things,  it  can  not 
enter  in  into  itself,  as  into  the  image  of  God. 
And  since  a  man  must  lie  in  the  spot 
where  he  falls  unless  some  one  sets  to  work 
and  helps  him  to  rise,  our  souls  could  not  be 
perfectly  raised  from  these  sensible  things  to 
the  intuition  of  itself,  and  of  eternal  truth 
in  itself,  had  not  truth,  taking  on  human 
form  in  Christ,  become  a  stair  for  it,  repair- 
ing the  former  stair  which  in  Adam  had  been 
broken  down.  Hence,  however  far  a  man  may 
be  illuminated  by  the  light  of  nature  and 
acquired  science,  he  can  not  enter  into  him- 
self to  enjoy  himself  in  the  Lord,  save  through 
the  mediation  of  Christ,  who  says:  "I  am  the 
door;  by  me  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall 
be  saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  out  and  shall 
find  pasture"  (John  10:9).  But  we  do  not 
approach  this  door  unless  we  believe  in  him, 
hope  for  him,  love  him.  If,  therefore,  we 
wish  to  re-enter  to  the  fruition  of  truth,  as 
into  paradise,  we  must  go  in  through  faith, 

41 


SDrbotional  Classics 

hope,  and  love  toward  the  Mediator  between 
God  and  man,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is,  as  it  were, 
the  tree  of  life  in  the  midst  of  paradise. 

The  image  of  our  mind,  therefore,  must  be 
clothed  with  the  three  theological  virtues 
whereby  the  soul  is  purified,  illuminated,  and 
perfected,  and  thus  the  image  is  reformed, 
repaired,  and  made  suitable  for  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  and  a  part  of  the  Church  militant, 
which,  according  to  the  apostle,  is  the  off- 
spring of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  For  he 
says:  "The  Jerusalem  that  is  above  is  free, 
which  is  our  mother ' '  ( Gal.  4:26).  The  soul, 
therefore,  that  believes  in,  hopes  for,  and 
loves  Jesus  Christ  who  is  the  Word  of  the 
Father,  incarnate,  uncreated,  inspired — that 
is,  the  "Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life — does 
three  things.  In  believing  through  faith  in 
Christ  as  the  uncreated  Word,  which  is  the 
word  and  glory  of  the  Father,  it  recovers 
spiritual  hearing  and  sight — hearing  to  re- 
ceive the  sayings  of  Christ,  sight  to  behold 
the  glories  of  his  light.  In  longing  with  hope 
to  receive  the  inspired  Word,  through  desire 
and  affection  it  recovers  its  spiritual  scent. 
In  embracing  with  love  the  incarnate  Word, 
as  deriving  delight  from  it,  and  in  passing 
over  into  it  through  ecstatic  love,  it  recovers 
spiritual  taste  and  touch.  Having  recovered 
these  senses,  and  seeing,  hearing,  smelling, 

42 


Bonabrntura 

tasting,  and  embracing  its  Spouse,  it  is  able 
to  sing,  like  a  bride,  the  Song  of  Songs,  which 
was  composed  for  the  exercise  of  contempla- 
tion in  this  fourth  grade,  which  no  one  com- 
prehends save  him  who  receives  it,  because  it 
consists  rather  of  affectional  experience  than 
of  rational  reflection.  For  in  this  grade, 
having  recovered  its  interior  senses,  so  as  to 
see  that  which  is  supremely  beautiful,  to  hear 
that  which  is  supremely  harmonious,  to 
smell  that  which  is  supremely  odoriferous,  to 
taste  that  which  is  supremely  sweet,  to  appre- 
hend that  which  is  supremely  delightful,  the 
mind  is  disposed  to  mental  ecstasies — that  is, 
through  devotion,  admiration,  and  exultation, 
according  to  the  three  exclamations  uttered 
in  the  Song  of  Songs  (Song  of  Songs,  3:6). 
Of  these,  the  first  is  uttered  through  super- 
abundance of  devotion,  whereby  the  soul  be- 
comes like  a  rod  of  smoke  from  the  perfumes 
of  myrrh  and  frankincense.  The  second  is 
uttered  through  excellence  of  admiration, 
whereby  the  soul  becomes  as  the  dawn,  the 
moon,  and  the  sun,  according  to  that  process 
of  illuminations,  which  lift  up  the  soul  to 
consider  and  admire  its  Spouse  (Ibid  6:9). 
The  third  takes  place  through  superabundance 
of  exultation,  whereby  the  soul  becomes  rich 
in  the  joys  of  the  sweetest  delight,  resting 
wholly  upon  its  beloved  (Ibid  8:3).  Hav- 

43 


S^botional  Clastetfcg 

ing  acquired  these  things  (Sum.  Theol.  I,  q. 
108,  art.  1),  our  spirits  become  hierarchic 
to  ascend  aloft,  through  conformity  to  that 
supernal  Jerusalem  into  which  none  enters, 
unless  it  first  descend  into  his  heart  through 
grace,  as  John  saw  in  his  Apocalypse  (Rev. 
21 :  27) .  But  it  descends  into  the  heart  when, 
through  reformation  of  the  image,  through 
the  theologic  virtues,  and  through  delights  of 
the  spiritual  senses  and  upliftings  of  ecsta- 
sies, our  spirits  become  hierarchic — that  is, 
purged,  illuminated,  and  perfected.  Thus, 
likewise,  it  is  marked  by  the  grades  of  the 
nine  orders,  inasmuch  as  within  it  are  dis- 
posed, in  due  order,  annunciation,  dictation, 
guidance,  ordination,  invigoration,  command, 
acceptance,  revelation,  unification,  which  in 
their  grades  correspond  to  the  nine  orders 
of  the  angels,  so  that  the  grades  of  the  three 
first  named  have  regard  to  the  nature  of  the 
human  soul;  the  three  following  grades,  to 
its  industry;  the  last  three  to  grace.  Pos- 
sessing these,  the  soul,  when  it  enters  into 
itself,  enters  the  supernal  Jerusalem,  where, 
considering  the  orders  of  the  angels,  it  sees 
in  them  God,  who,  dwelling  in  them,  performs 
all  their  actions.  Whence  Bernard  says  to 
Eugenius  that  God  in  the  seraphim  loves  as 
charity ;  in  the  cherubim  knows  as  truth ;  in 
the  thrones  sits  as  equity;  in  the  dominions 

44 


Sonabcntuta 

rules  as  majesty;  in  the  principalities  guides 
as  principle;  in  the  powers  preserves  as 
health;  in  the  virtues  acts  as  virtue;  in  the 
archangels  reveals  as  light;  in  the  angels  as- 
sists as  piety  (De  Consider utione,  book  5, 
chap.  5).  From  all  these  God  is  seen  as  all 
in  all,  through  contemplation  of  him  in  those 
minds  in  which  he  dwells  through  gifts  of 
the  most  abounding  charity. 
'  For  this  grade  of  speculation  the  special 
and  principal  aid  is  the  consideration  of  Holy 
Scripture  divinely  inspired,  just  as  philoso- 
phy was  the  chief  aid  for  the  preceding  grade ; 
for  Holy  Scripture  deals  chiefly  with  works 
of  reparation;  whence  it  treats  mainly  of 
faith,  hope,  and  charity,  and  most  especially 
of  charity.  Of  this  the  apostle  says:  "The 
end  of  the  charge  is  love  out  of  a  pure  heart 
and  a  good  conscience,  and  faith  unfeigned" 
(1  Tim.  1:5).  It  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  law 
(Rom.  13: 10),  as  he  likewise  says.  And  our 
Savior  himself  asserts  that  all  the  law  and 
the  prophets  hang  upon  his  two  precepts — 
that  is,  on  love  to  God  and  our  neighbor. 
These  two  are  implied  in  the  one  Spouse  of 
the  Church,  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  at  once  our 
neighbor  and  God;  at  once  our  Brother  and 
Lord;  at  once  the  Word  increate  and  incar- 
nate, our  Former  and  Reformer,  Alpha  and 
Omega.  He  is  also  the  supreme  Hierarch, 

45 


SDebottonal  Classics 

purging,  illuminating,  and  perfecting  his 
Spouse — that  is,  the  whole  Church  and  every 
holy  soul.  Wherefore,  of  this  hierarch  and 
this  ecclesiastical  hierarchy  the  whole  Scrip- 
ture treats,  by  which  we  are  taught  to  purge, 
illuminate,  and  perfect  ourselves;  and  this 
according  to  the  threefold  law  laid  down  in 
it,  the  natural  law,  the  written  law,  and  the 
law  of  grace;  or,  rather,  according  to  its 
threefold  principle  part — viz.,  the  Mosaic  law, 
purging;  the  prophetic  revelation,  illuminat- 
ing; and  the  gospel  teaching,  perfecting;  or, 
still  rather,  according  to  its  triple  spiritual 
meaning,  the  tropologic,  which  purges  to 
honesty  of  life ;  the  allegorical,  which  illumi- 
nates to  clearness  of  understanding ;  the  ana- 
gogic,  which  perfects  through  mental  ecsta- 
sies and  the  sweetest  participations  in  wis- 
dom; according  to  the  three  theological  vir- 
tues above  named,  the  spiritual  senses  as  re- 
formed, the  three  ecstasies  above  mentioned, 
and  the  hierarchical  acts  of  the  mind,  where- 
by our  minds  revert  to  interior  things,  in 
them  to  behold  God  in  the  glories  of  the  saints, 
and  on  them  to  sleep  and  rest  in  peace,  as  on 
couches,  their  Spouse  adjuring  them  not  to 
stir,  until  they  please  (Song  of  Songs  2:7). 
From  these  two  middle  steps,  over  which 
we  pass  to  the  contemplation  of  God  within 
us,  as  in  mirrors  of  created  images,  and,  as  it 

46 


were,  after  the  manner  of  wings  outstretched 
for  flight — wings  holding  the  middle  place — 
we  may  understand  that  we  are  led  to  divine 
things  through  the  natural  powers  of  the  ra- 
tional soul,  in  accordance  with  their  opera- 
tions, habitudes,  and  scientific  habits,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  third  grade.  "We  are  led,  in 
the  same  manner,  through  the  hierarchic  acts 
of  human  minds — viz.,  purgation,  illumina- 
tion, and  perfection ;  by  the  hierarchic  revela- 
tions of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  given  to  us 
through  the  angels,  according  to  the  saying 
of  the  apostle,  that  "the  law  was  ordained 
through  angels  by  the  hand  of  a  Mediator" 
(Gal.  3:19) ;  and,  finally,  we  are  led  through 
the  hierarchies  and  hierarchic  orders,  which 
in  our  minds  have  to  be  disposed  after  the 
manner  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  Our 
minds,  filled  full  with  all  these  lights,  are 
inhabited  by  the  divine  wisdom,  like  houses 
of  God,  being  made  daughters,  spouses,  and 
friends  of  God,  members,  sisters,  and  co-heirs 
of  Christ  the  head,  and,  likewise,  temples  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  founded  by  faith,  reared  by 
hope,  and  dedicated  to  God  by  sanctity  of 
mind  and  body.  All  this  is  accomplished  by 
the  perfectly  sincere  love  of  Christ  "shed 
abroad  in  our  hearts  through  the  Holy  Ghost 
which  was  given  to  us"  (Rom.  5:5),  and 
without  which  we  can  not  know  the  secret 

47 


things  of  God.  For,  as  no  one  can  know  the 
things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which 
is  in  him,  even  so  the  things  of  God  none 
knoweth,  save  the  Spirit  of  God  (1  Cor. 
2:11).  Let  us,  therefore,  be  rooted  and 
grounded  in  love,  that  we  may  be  strong  to 
apprehend,  with  all  the  saints,  what  is  the 
length  of  eternity,  the  breadth  of  liberality, 
the  height  of  majesty,  and  the  depth  of  judg- 
ing wisdom  (Eph.  3:17,  18). 


V 

af  tfj 
3tg  primary 


But,  inasmuch  as  we  may  contemplate  God, 
not  only  without  us  and  within  us,  but  also 
above  us  —  without  us  by  his  footsteps,  within 
us  by  his  image,  and  above  us  by  the  light 
which  is  imprest  upon  our  minds  (which  is 
the  light  of  eternal  truth,  since  these  minds 
of  ours  are  formed  directly  by  the  truth  it- 
self) —  those  who  are  exercised  in  the  first 
have  entered  the  court  in  front  of  the  Taber- 
nacle (Ex.  27:9);  those  who  are  exercised 
in  the  second  have  entered  the  holy  place; 
while  those  who  are  exercised  in  the  third 
enter  with  the  high  priest  into  the  holy  of 

48 


holies,  where  above  the  ark  are  the  cherubim 
of  glory,  overshadowing  the  mercy-seat  (Ex. 
25 :  8-20).  These  we  understand  to  mean  two 
modes  or  grades  of  contemplating  the  invis- 
ible and  eternal  things  of  God.  One  of  these 
relates  to  the  essential  attributes  of  God ;  the 
other  to  the  special  attributes  of  the  (three) 
persons.  The  first  mode  first  and  chiefly 
fixes  our  vision  upon  being  itself,  telling  us 
that  that  which  is  is  the  first  name  of  God. 
The  second  mode  fixes  our  vision  upon  the 
Good  itself,  telling  us  that  this  is  the  first 
name  of  God.  The  first  looks  specially  toward 
the  Old  Testament,  which  chiefly  proclaims 
the  unity  of  the  divine  essence;  whence  it 
was  said  to  Moses:  "I  am  that  I  am"  (Ex. 
3:14).  The  second  looks  to  the  New  Testa- 
ment, which  determines  the  plurality  of  the 
divine  persons,  baptizing  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  Where- 
fore, our  Master,  Christ,  wishing  to  lift  up  to 
the  perfection  of  the  gospel  the  young  man 
who  had  observed  the  law,  ascribed  to  God 
chiefly  and  alone  the  attribute  of  goodness. 
He  says:  "None  is  good  save  one,  even  God" 
(Mark  10 : 18).  Damascenus,  therefore,  follow- 
ing Moses,  says  that  "He-who-is"  is  the  first 
name  of  God;  Dionysius,  following  Christ, 
says  that  "The  Good"  is  the  first  name  of 
God. 

Ill — t  49 


Let  him,  therefore,  who  desires  to  contem- 
plate the  invisible  things  of  God,  as  regards 
unity  of  essence,  first  fix  his  eyes  upon  being 
itself,  and  see  that  it  is  so  absolutely  certain 
in  itself  that  it  can  not  be  thought  not  to  be ; 
because,  being  absolutely  pure,  it  presents 
itself  in  the  complete  absence  of  non-being, 
just  as  naught  presents  itself  in  the  complete 
absence  of  being.  Even,  therefore,  as  pure 
naught  contains  naught  of  being  or  of  its 
conditions,  so,  on  the  contrary,  being  con- 
tains naught  of  non-being,  either  actually 
or  potentially,  either  according  to  the  real 
truth  or  to  our  estimate.  But  since  non- 
being  is  a  privation  of  being,  it  enters  our 
intelligence  only  through  being.  Being,  on 
the  other  hand,  does  not  enter  our  intelli- 
gence through  anything  but  itself,  because 
everything  that  is  understood  is  understood 
either  as  non-being,  or  as  being  potentially,  or 
as  being  actually.  If,  therefore,  non-being 
can  be  understood  only  through  being,  and 
potential  being  only  through  actual  being, 
and  being  designates  the  pure  act  of  that 
which  is,  it  follows  that  being  is  what  first 
enters  the  intellect,  and  this  being  it  is  that 
is  pure  act.  But  this  is  not  particular  being 
which  is  limited  being,  because  it  is  mixed 
with  potentiality;  nor  is  it  analogous  being, 
because  this  has  least  of  actuality,  being  that 

50 


Bonabrntuta 

which  in  the  smallest  degree  is.  It  remains, 
therefore,  that  this  being  is  the  Divine  Being. 

Strange,  therefore,  is  the  blindness  of  the 
intellect,  which  does  not  consider  that  which 
it  first  sees,  and  without  which  it  can  know 
nothing.  But  as  the  eye,  when  intent  upon 
various  differences  of  colors,  does  not  see  the 
light  whereby  it  sees  all  other  things,  and  if 
it  does  see  it,  does  not  notice  it,  so  the  eye 
of  our  mind,  being  intent  upon  these  par- 
ticular and  universal  things,  does  not  notice 
that  being  which  is  outside  all  genus,  altho 
it  first  occurs  to  the  mind,  and  all  things  are 
known  through  it.  Hence,  it  most  truly  ap- 
pears that  as  the  eye  of  the  bat  is  related  to 
light,  so  the  eye  of  our  mind  is  related  to 
the  most  manifest  things  of  nature.  The  rea- 
son is  that,  being  accustomed  to  the  darkness 
of  beings  and  the  phantasm  of  sensible  things, 
when  it  sees  the  light  of  the  highest  being, 
it  seems  to  see  nothing  (not  understanding 
that  this  darkness  is  the  highest  illumination 
of  our  minds) ,  just  as  when  the  eye  sees  pure 
light,  it  seems  to  see  nothing. 

Behold,  therefore,  this  absolutely  pure 
being,  if  thou  canst,  and  it  will  be  plain  to 
thee  that  it  can  not  be  derived  from  aught 
else ;  and  it  is  necessarily  thought  as  in  every 
respect  first,  because  it-  can  neither  be  from 
nothing  nor  from  anything  else.  For  what 

51 


£>rt)0ft0nal 

is  through  itself,  if  being  be  not  through  it- 
self and  from  itself?  It  will  present  itself 
to  thee  as  altogether  free  from  non-being, 
and,  hence,  as  never  beginning,  never  ending, 
and  therefore  as  eternal.  It  will  likewise 
present  itself  to  thee  as  in  no  way  contain- 
ing anything  but  being  itself,  and,  hence,  as 
not  compounded  with  anything,  but  perfect- 
ly simple.  It  will  further  present  itself  as 
containing  naught  of  possibility,  because 
every  possible  in  some  way  contains  some- 
what of  non-being;  hence,  it  will  appear  as 
supremely  and  completely  actual.  It  will 
present  itself  as  containing  no  defectibility, 
and,  hence,  as  absolutely  perfect.  Finally, 
it  will  present  itself  as  having  no  adversity, 
and  hence  as  supremely  one. 

The  being,  therefore,  which  is  pure  being, 
being  simply,  and  being  absolute  is  being 
primary,  eternal,  superlatively  simple, 
actual,  perfect,  and  one.  And  these  things 
are  so  certain  that  the  opposite  of  them  can 
not  be  thought  by  him  who  understands  being. 
From  one  of  them,  likewise,  the  rest  may  be 
inferred.  For,  since  being  is  being  simple, 
it  is  simply  first;  because  it  is  simply  first, 
it  is  not  made  by  aught  else,  nor  could  it  be 
made  by  itself;  therefore,  it  is  eternal.  In 
like  manner,  since  it  is  first  and  eternal,  it 
is  not  composed  of  other  things;  therefore 

52 


Bor.abcntura 

it  is  perfectly  simple.  Again,  since  it  is  first, 
eternal,  and  perfectly  simple,  it  contains  no 
possibility  intermingled  with  its  actuality; 
therefore  it  is  perfectly  actual.  Since  it  is  first, 
eternal,  perfectly  simple,  and  perfectly  actual, 
therefore 'it  is  altogether  perfect;  such  a  thing 
neither  lacks  aught  nor  can  aught  be  added  to 
it.  Since  it  is  first,  eternal,  perfectly  simple, 
perfectly  actual,  and  altogether  perfect,  there- 
fore it  is  in  the  highest  degree  one;  for  that 
which  is  called  omnifarious  superabundance 
is  so  called  with  respect  to  all  things.  Also,  that 
which  is  called  superabundance  simply  can  not 
possibly  belong  save  to  one  being.  Hence,  if 
God  is  the  name  for  being,  primary,  eternal, 
altogether  simple,  altogether  actual,  alto- 
gether perfect,  it  is  impossible  that  he  should 
be  thought  not  to  be,  or  not  to  be  one  and  no 
more. ' '  Hear,  therefore,  O  Israel !  the  Lord  our 
God  is  one  God"  (Deut.  6: 4).  If  thou  behold- 
est  this  in  pure  simplicity  of  mind,  thou  art  in 
some  sort  suffused  with  the  illumination  of 
the  eternal  light.  But  thou  hast  wherewithal 
to  be  uplifted  into  admiration,  for  being  is 
first  and  last;  it  is  eternal  and  altogether 
present;  it  is  more  simple  and  greatest;  it  is 
altogether  actual  and  altogether  immutable; 
it  is  altogether  perfect  and  infinite;  it  is  in 
the  highest  degree  one,  and  yet  in  all  modes. 
If  thou  admirest  these  things  with  a  pure 

53 


mind,  thou  art  suffused  with  a  greater  light, 
because  thou  seest,  further,  that  it  is  last 
because  it  is  first.  For,  because  it  is  first, 
it  performs  all  things  by  reason  of  itself, 
whence  it  must  be  the  ultimate  end,  the  be- 
ginning and  consummation,  Alpha  and 
Omega.  It  is  most  excellent,  because  it  is 
eternal.  For,  because  it  is  eternal,  it  is  not 
limited  by  another;  it  does  not  fail  from 
itself;  it  does  not  pass  from  one  thing  to 
another.  Therefore,  it  has  neither  past  nor 
future,  but  is  solely  present.  It  is  greatest, 
because  it  is  altogether  simple.  Because  it  is 
altogether  simple  in  essence,  it  is  greatest  in 
virtue ;  inasmuch  as  virtue  is  the  more  nearly 
infinite  the  more  it  is  united.  It  is  alto- 
gether immutable,  because  it  is  altogether 
actual.  For,  because  it  is  altogether  actual, 
it  is  pure  act,  and  because  it  is  such,  it  ac- 
quires nothing  new  and  loses  nothing  which 
it  has;  hence  it  can  not  be  changed.  It  is 
infinite,  because  it  is  altogether  perfect.  For, 
because  it  is  altogether  perfect,  nothing  bet- 
ter, nobler,  or  worthier  than  it  can  be  thought ; 
hence,  nothing  greater.  And  every  such  thing 
is  infinite.  It  is  in  all  modes,  because  it  is  in 
the  highest  degree  one.  For,  because  it  is  in 
the  highest  degree  one,  it  is  the  universal 
principle  of  all  multiplicity  and,  for  the 
same  reason,  it  is  the  universal  cause  of  all 

54 


things — efficient,  formal,  and  final — as  like- 
wise the  cause  of  being,  the  ground  of  under- 
standing, the  order  of  living.  It  is,  therefore, 
in  all  modes,  not  as  the  essence  of  all  things 
but  as  the  altogether  superexcellent,  alto- 
gether universal,  and  altogether  sufficient 
cause  of  all  essences.  Its  virtue,  because  in 
the  highest  degree  united  in  essence,  is  in  the 
highest  degree  infinite  and  manifold  in  ef- 
ficacy. 

Turning  back,  let  us  say :  Because  being  al- 
together pure  and  absolute — that  is,  being 
simple — is  first  and  last,  it  is  the  origin  and 
consummating  end  of  all  things.  Because 
it  is  eternal  and  altogether  present,  it  includes 
and  pervades  all  durations,  as  if  it  were  at 
once  their  center  and  circumference.  Be- 
cause it  is  altogether  simple  and  greatest,  it 
is  wholly  within  everything  and  wholly  with- 
out everything;  hence  it  is  an  intelligible 
sphere,  whose  center  is  everywhere  and  whose 
circumference  is  nowhere.  Because  it  is  al- 
together actual  and  immutable,  while  remain- 
ing motionless,  it  imparts  motion  to  the  uni- 
verse. Because  it  is  altogether  perfect  and  in- 
finite, it  is  within  everything  without  being 
included;  it  is  outside  of  everything  without 
being  excluded;  it  is  above  everything  with- 
out being  lifted  up;  it  is  below  everything 
without  being  cast  down.  But  because  it  is 

55 


SDibotumal  Classics* 

in  the  highest  degree  one  and  in  all  modes,  it 
is  all  things  in  all  things,  albeit  all  things  are 
many,  and  it  is  but  one.  And  it  is  so  because 
(through  its  perfectly  simple  unity,  its  per- 
fectly serene  truth,  and  its  perfectly  sincere 
goodness)  there  is  in  it  all  virtuosity,  all  ex- 
emplarity,  and  all  communicability ;  whence 
all  things  are  of  it,  through  it,  and  unto  it 
(Rom.  11:36).  And  this  is  true  because  it 
is  omnipotent,  omniscient,  and  in  all  modes, 
to  behold  which  perfectly  is  to  be  blest;  as 
it  was  said  to  Moses:  "I  will  make  all  my 
goodness  pass  before  thee ' '  ( Ex.  33 : 19 ) . 


VI 

t$t  25djoHiinff  ot  tfje  S^osft 
3n 


After  the  consideration  of  essentials,  the 
eye  of  the  intelligence  must  be  raised  to  the 
contemplation  of  the  most  blessed  Trinity,  so 
that  the  second  cherub  may  be  set  up  beside 
the  first.  For,  as  being  is  the  principle  of  the 
vision  of  essentials  and  the  name  whereby 
other  things  are  known,  so  the  good  is  the  chief 
foundation  for  the  contemplation  of  emana- 
tions. Behold,  therefore,  and  observe  how  the 
best  —  which  simply  is,  than  which  nothing 
better  can  be  thought,  and  which  is  such  that 

56 


it  can  not  be  thought  not  to  be,  because  to  be 
is  altogether  better  than  not  to  be — is  in  such 
a  way  that  it  can  not  be  rightly  thought  un- 
less it  be  thought  as  three  and  one ;  for  by  the 
good  is  meant  that  which  is  self-diffusive. 
Therefore  the  supreme  good  is  supremely  self- 
diffusive.  But  the  highest  diffusion  can  not 
be  unless  it  be  actual  and  intrinsic,  substantial 
and  hypostatic,  natural  and  voluntary,  free 
and  necessary,  indeficient  and  perfect.  Un- 
less, therefore,  there  were  eternally  in  the 
highest  good  an  actual,  consubstantial,  and 
hypostatic  production,  as  noble  as  that  which 
produces,  in  the  form  of  generation  and 
spiration,  so  as  to  produce  an  eternal  prin- 
ciple eternally  acting  as  coprinciple,  and 
which  shall  be  beloved  and  beloved  in  com- 
pany, that  is,  begotten  and  breathed  forth — 
that  is,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit — it 
would  in  no  way  be  the  highest  good,  because 
it  would  not  be  in  the  highest  degree  diffused ; 
for  temporal  diffusion  in  created  things  is 
only  as  a  center  or  point  in  comparison  with 
the  infinity  of  eternal  goodness.  Hence  no 
diffusion  can  be  thought  greater  than  this, 
in  which  the  diffuser  communicates  to  an- 
other his  whole  substance  and  nature.  It 
would  not  be  the  highest  good,  if  it  could 
lack  reality  or  intellect.  If,  therefore,  with 
thy  mind's  eye  thou  canst  behold  the  purity 

57 


Classics 

of  goodness — which  is  the  pure  act  of  a  prin- 
ciple in  charity  loving  with  a  love  that  is 
gratuitous,  due,  and  compounded  of  grace 
and  duty;  which  is  the  most  complete  dif- 
fusion, in  the  manner  of  nature  and  of  will ; 
which  is  a  diffusion  after  the  manner  of  the 
Word,  in  which  all  things  are  said,  and  after 
the  manner  of  a  gift,  in  which  all  other  gifts 
are  given — thou  mayest  see,  through  the  su- 
preme communicability  of  the  good,  that  the 
Trinity  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  is 
necessary.  In  these,  by  reason  of  their  su- 
preme goodness,  there  must  be  the  highest 
communicability  and  through  the  highest 
communicability  the  highest  consubstantial- 
ity,  and  through  the  highest  consubstantiality 
the  highest  configurality,  and  through  these 
the  highest  coequality,  and  through  this  the 
highest  coeternity,  and  through  all  the  afore- 
said the  highest  cointimity,  whereby  one  is 
necessarily  in  the  other  through  the  highest 
circumincession,  and  one  acts  along  with  the 
other  through  the  omnifarious  indivision  of 
.the  substance,  the  virtue,  and  the  action  of  the 
most  blessed  Trinity. 

But,  when  thou  contemplatest  these  things, 
see  thou  think  not  that  thou  comprehendest 
the  incomprehensible;  for  thou  must  needs 
still  reflect  upon  these  six  conditions,  and 
this  brings  the  eyes  of  our  minds  mightily  into 

58 


the  amazement  of  admiration.  For  here  is  the 
highest  communicability,  along  with  distinc- 
tion of  persons,  the  highest  consubstantiality, 
along  with  plurality  of  hypostases;  the  high- 
est configurality,  along  with  discrete  person- 
ality; the  highest  coequality,  along  with 
order;  the  highest  coeternity,  along  with 
emanation ;  the  highest  cointimity,  along  with 
emission.  Who,  at  sight  of  these  wondrous 
things,  does  not  rise  up  into  admiration  ?  But 
all  these  things  we  most  clearly  understand 
to  be  in  the  blessed  Trinity,  if  we  lift  up  our 
eyes  to  the  altogether  superexcellent  good- 
ness; for,  if  there  are  here  the  highest  com- 
munication and  true  diffusion,  there  are  here 
true  origin  and  true  distinction.  And,  since 
the  whole  is  communicated,  and  not  the  part, 
that  same  which  is  kept  is  given,  and  given 
entire.  Therefore  the  emanating  and  the 
producing  are  both  distinguished  by  proper- 
ties and  are  essentially  one.  Since,  therefore, 
they  are  distinguished  by  properties,  they  have 
properties  of  persons,  plurality  of  hypostases, 
emanation  of  origin,  order  not  of  posteriority 
but  of  origin  and  emission,  not  of  local  change 
but  of  gratuitous  inspiration,  by  reason  of 
the  authority  of  the  producer — an  authority 
which  the  sender  exercises  over  the  sent.  But, 
since  they  are  one  substantially,  they  must 
have  unity  in  essence,  form,  dignity,  eternity, 

59 


existence,  and  circumscribability.  When, 
therefore,  thou  considerest  these  things  one 
by  one,  thou  hast  wherewithal  to  contemplate 
the  truth.  "When  thou  comparest  them  mu- 
tually with  each  other,  thou  hast  wherewithal 
to  arise  to  the  highest  admiration.  And, 
therefore,  that  thy  mind  may  arise  through 
admiration  to  admirable  contemplation,  these 
things  must  be  considered  together;  for  this 
is  indicated  by  the  cherubim,  which  looked  at 
each  other  (Ex.  25:20).  Nor  is  it  a  thing 
without  mystery  that  they  looked  at  each 
other  with  their  faces  turned  toward  the 
mercy-seat,  that  it  may  be  fulfilled,  which  is 
spoken  by  the  Lord  in  John :  ' '  This  is  eternal 
life,  that  they  should  know  thee  the  only  true 
God,  and  him  whom  thou  didst  send,  even 
Jesus  Christ"  (chap.  17:3).  For  we  must 
admire  God's  essential  and  personal  condi- 
tions not  only  in  themselves,  but  also  in  com- 
parison with  the  superadmirable  union  of 
God  and  the  man  in  the  person  of  Christ. 

For,  if  thou  art  the  one  cherub,  contem- 
plating the  essential  things  of  God,  and  won- 
derest  because  the  Divine  Being  is  at  once 
first  and  last,  eternal  and  most  present,  most 
simple  and  greatest  or  uncircumscribed, 
wholly  everywhere  and  comprehended  no- 
where, most  actual  and  never  moved,  most 
perfect,  without  excess  or  defect  and  yet  im- 

60 


Bonabrntura 

measurable  and  infinite  without  bound,  su- 
premely one  and  yet  omnifarious,  as  con- 
taining all  things,  as  being  all  power,  ail 
truth,  all  good — look  at  the  mercy-seat  and 
behold  with  wonder  that  therein  the  first  prin- 
ciple is  joined  to  the  last  term — God  with  man 
formed  on  the  sixth  day — the  Eternal  joined 
to  temporal  man,  born  of  a  virgin  in  the  ful- 
ness of  time;  the  most  simple  with  the  most 
composite ;  the  most  actual  with  the  most  pas- 
sive and  dead;  the  most  perfect  and  infinite 
with  the  modified;  the  absolutely  one  and 
omnifarious  with  the  individual  composite 
and  distinct  from  all  others,  with  man,  with 
Jesus  Christ. 

If  thou  art  the  other  cherub,  contemplating 
the  special 'attributes  of  the  (three)  persons, 
and  wonderest  that  communicability  coexists 
with  property ;  consubstantiality  with  plural- 
ity ;  configurality  with  personality ;  coequality 
with  order;  eternity  with  production;  coin- 
timity  with  emission  (for  the  Son  is  sent 
(forth)  by  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
by  both,  while,  nevertheless,  he  is  always 
with  them  and  never  departs  from  them), 
look  at  the  mercy-seat  and  behold  with  won- 
der how  in  Christ  personal  unity  coexists  with 
trinity  of  substances  and  duality  of  natures ; 
omnifarious  agreement  with  plurality  of 
wills-  compredication  of  God  and  man  with 

61 


SDtbotional  Classics 

plurality  of  properties;  coadoration  with 
plurality  of  nobilities;  coexaltation  above  all 
things  with  plurality  of  dignities ;  condomina- 
tion  with  plurality  of  powers.  But  in  this 
consideration  is  the  perfection  of  mental  il- 
lumination; the  mind,  as  on  the  sixth  day, 
sees  man  made  in  the  image  of  God.  For,  if 
image  is  expressive  similitude,  when  our  mind 
contemplates  in  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  (who 
is  by  nature  the  invisible  Image  of  God)  our 
humanity  so  wonderfully  exalted,  so  ineffably 
united,  seeing  at  once  in  one  the  first  and  the 
last,  the  highest  and  the  lowest,  the  circum- 
ference and  the  center,  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  cause  and  the  caused,  the  Creator  and  the 
creature — in  a  word,  the  book  written  within 
and  without — it  has  already  arrived  at  a  cer- 
tain perfect  thing,  arriving  with  God  at  the 
perfection  of  its  illuminations,  in  the  sixth 
grade,  on  the  sixth  day.  And  nothing  more 
remains  but  the  day  of  rest,  on  which, 
through  mental  ecstasy,  the  perspicacity  of 
the  human  mind  may  rest  from  all  the  works 
which  it  has  performed. 


62 


25onabetttura 


VII 

Cental  anto  S^gtic 

in  l£U$t  3te  CSiten  to  tye  Sntdfcct,  tye  Sit  * 
tection  pa^ms  CflUjoIty  €>ter, 
Unto 


After  our  mind  has  passed  through  these 
six  considerations,  which  are  like  the  six  steps 
to  the  throne  of  the  true  Solomon  (1  Kings 
10:  19),  whereby  there  is  an  ascent  to  peace, 
wherein  the  true  man  of  peace  rests  in  a 
peaceful  mind,  as  in  an  inner  Jerusalem  ;  like 
the  six  wings  of  the  cherub,  by  which  the 
mind  of  the  true  man  of  contemplation,  full 
of  the  enlightenment  of  supernal  wisdom, 
may  be  able  to  rise  aloft;  like  the  first  six 
days,  in  which  the  mind  is  exercised,  that 
finally  it  may  attain  to  the  sabbath  of  rest  — 
after  our  mind  has  beheld  God  outside 
of  itself  by  his  footsteps  and  in  his  foot- 
steps; within  itself  through  his  image  and 
in  his  image;  above  itself  by  the  similitude 
of  the  divine  light  reflected  above  us,  and 
in  that  light  as  far  as  is  possible  accord- 
ing to  the  stage  of  progress  and  the  exer- 
cise of  our  mind,  when  at  last,  on  the  sixth 
day,  it  shall  have  reached  such  a  point  as 
to  behold  in  the  first  and  highest  prin- 

63 


Sttbotional 

ciple  and  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  those  things  the  like 
of  which  can  in  no  degree  be  found  in  created 
things,  and  which  go  beyond  all  perspicacity 
of  the  human  intellect,  it  remains  that,  behold- 
ing these  things,  it  shall  transcend  and  pass 
beyond,  not  only  this  sensible  world,  but  also 
itself;  in  which  transition  Christ  is  the  Way 
and  the  Door,  Christ  is  the  Stair  and  the 
Vehicle,  as  the  mercy-seat  placed  above  the 
ark  of  God,  and  the  sacrament  hidden  from 
before  the  ages.  He  who  looks  at  this  mercy- 
seat,  gazing  with  his  face  fully  turned  at  him 
who  hangs  on  the  cross,  through  faith,  hope, 
and  charity,  through  devotion,  admiration, 
praise,  and  jubilation,  makes  the  passover, 
that  is,  the  transition,  with  him  so  that 
through  the  rod  of  the  cross  he  passes  over 
the  Red  Sea  from  Egypt  into  the  desert, 
where  he  tastes  the  hidden  manna  (Rev.  2: 
17),  and  rests  with  Christ  in  the  tomb,  being, 
as  it  were,  outwardly  dead,  nevertheless  feel- 
ing, as  far  as  possible  in  the  condition  of  pil- 
grimage, what  was  said  on  the  cross  to  the 
robber  who  clung  to  Christ:  "This  day  shalt 
thou  be  with  me  in  paradise"  (Luke  23 : 43). 
This  also  was  shown  to  the  blessed  Francis 
when,  in  the  ecstasy  of  contemplation  on  the 
lofty  mountain  (where  I  thought  out  these 
things  which  are  written),  there  appeared  to 

64 


him  a  six-winged  seraph  fastened  to  a  cross, 
as  I  and  many  others  heard  from  a  companion 
of  his  who  was  with  him  at  the  time  when  he 
passed  over  into  God  through  ecstasy  of  con- 
templation, and  was  set  forth  as  an  example 
of  perfect  contemplation,  as  formerly  he  had 
been  of  perfect  action,  like  a  second  Jacob 
changed  into  Israel  (Gen.  35:10),  that 
through  him  God  might  invite  all  truly 
spiritual  men  to  this  kind  of  trance  and  men- 
tal ecstasy,  more  by  example  than  by  word. 
But  in  this  transition,  if  it  is  to  be  perfect, 
all  intellectual  operations  must  be  left  be- 
hind and  the  whole  apex  of  affection  trans- 
ferred and  transformed  into  God.  But  this 
is  a  mystical  and  most  secret  thing,  which 
no  one  knows  save  him  who  receives  it;  and 
no  one  receives  it  save  him  who  desires  it; 
and  no  one  desires  it  save  him  whom  the  fire 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  sent  upon  earth  by  Christ, 
inflames  to  the  very  marrow;  and  therefore 
the  apostle  says  that  this  mystical  wisdom  is 
revealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (1  Cor.  2:10). 
Since,  therefore,  in  this,  nature  can  do  noth- 
ing and  industry  but  little,  little  heed  must  be 
paid  to  inquiry  arid  much  to  unction ;  little  to 
language  and  very  much  to  internal  joy; 
little  to  words  and  writing  and  the  whole  to 
the  gift  of  God — that  is,  to  the  Holy  Spirit; 
little  to  created  things  and  all  to  the  creative 

III— 5  65 


essence,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
while  we  say  with  Dionysius  to  God  the  Trin- 
ity: * '  Superessential  Trinity  and  Over-God, 
better  than  best  overseer  of  Christian  theos- 
ophy,  direct  us  to  the  more  than  unknown, 
the  superlucent  and  supersublime  apex  of 
mystical  utterances,  where  the  new  and  ab- 
solute and  inconvertible  and  unchangeable 
mysteries  of  theology  are  hid  in  the  super- 
lucent  darkness  of  occult  teaching,  science, 
which  is  supersplendent  in  the  perfect,  super- 
manifest  gloom,  in  which  all  things  are  re- 
flected, and  which  overfills  the  invisible  intel- 
lects with  the  splendors  of  the  invisible  over- 
blest."  So  much  to  God.  But  to  the  friend 
to  whom  these  things  are  written  let  us  say 
with  the  same :  Do  thou,  O  friend,  proceeding 
boldly  on  the  way  to  mystic  visions,  abandon 
the  senses  and  the  operations  of  the  intellect ; 
abandon  things  sensible  and  things  invisible, 
and  all  non-being  and  being;  and,  as  far  as 
possible,  unknowingly  restore  thyself  to  the 
unity  of  him  who  is  above  all  essence  and  all 
science.  For  in  rising,  by  an  immeasurable  and 
absolute  ecstasy  of  pure  mind,  above  thyself 
and  all  things,  thou  shalt  ascend,  abandoning 
all  things  and  freed  from  all  things,  to  the  su- 
peressential  ray  of  divine  darkness.  But  if 
thou  wouldst  know  how  these  things  are  done, 
ask  grace  not  learning;  desire  not  intellect: 

66 


Bonnbrntuca 

'  the  groaning  of  prayer  not  the  diligence  of 
reading ;  the  spouse  not  the  master ;  God  not 
man;  darkness  not  clearness;  not  light,  but 
fire  totally  inflaming  and  transporting  into 
God  by  excessive  unctions  and  most  ardent  af- 
fections. This  fire,  indeed,  is  God,  and  his  way 
is  toward  Jerusalem,  and  it  was  kindled  by 
the  man  Christ,  in  the  fervor  of  his  most 
ardent  passion — a  fervor  of  which  he  alone 
truly  partakes  who  says:  "My  soul  hath 
chosen  strangling  and  my  bones  death"  (Job 
8:15).  He  who  chooseth  this  death  may  see 
God,  because  it  is  true  beyond  doubt:  ''Man 
shall  not  see  me  and  live"  (Ex.  33 : 22).  Let 
us  die,  therefore,  and  enter  into  darkness. 
Let  us  impose  silence  on  our  anxieties,  our 
appetites,  and  our  imaginings.  Let  us  pass 
with  Christ  crucified  from  this  world  to  the 
Father,  that  when  the  Father  is  shown  to  us 
we  may  say  with  Philip:  "It  sufficeth  us" 
(John  14:8).  Let  us  hear  with  Paul:  "My 
grace  is  sufficient  for  thee"  (2  Cor.  12:9). 
Let  us  exult  with  David,  saying:  "My  flesh 
and  my  heart  f aileth ;  but  God  is  the  strength 
of  my  heart  and  my  portion  forever"  (Ps.  73 : 
26).  "Blessed  be  the  Lord  for  evermore; 
and  let  all  the  people  say:  Amen  and  Amen" 
(Ps.  89:52). 


67 


of  fl&e  CEatl  of  &$attr0bttt# 

0  God,  the  Father  of  the  forsaken,  the  Help 
of  the  weak,  the  Supplier  of  the  needy,  who 
hast  diffused  and  proportioned  thy  gifts  to 
body  and  soul,  in  such  sort  that  all  may 
acknowledge  and  perform  the  joyous  duty  of 
mutual  service;  who  teachest  us  that  love 
toward  the  race  of  man  is  the  bond  of  per- 
f ectness,  and  the  imitation  of  thy  blessed  self ; 
open  our  eyes  and  touch  our  hearts,  that  we 
may  see  and  do,  both  for  this  world  and  for 
that  which  is  to  come,  the  things  which  belong 
unto  our  peace.  Strengthen  me  in  the  work  I 
have  undertaken;  give  me  counsel  and  wis- 
dom, perseverance,  faith  and  zeal,  and  in 
thine  own  good  time,  and  according  to  thy 
pleasure,  prosper  the  issue.  Pour  into  me  a 
spirit  of  humility ;  let  nothing  be  done  but  in 
devout  obedience  to  thy  will,  thankfulness  for 
thine  unspeakable  mercies,  and  love  to  thine 
adorable  son  Christ  Jesus.  AMEN. 


68 


SELECTIONS  FROM 

C6e 


BY 

SAINT  THOMAS  AQUINAS 


THOMAS  AQUINAS  (THOMAS  OF  AQUINO) 

Was  born  at  his  father's  castle  of  Roccasecca  in 
Neopolitan  territory  about  1226,  and  died  at  the 
monastery  of  Fossanova,  March  12,  1274.  The 
titles  of  Doctor  Communis  ("Universal  Doctor"), 
Doctor  Angelicus  ("Angelical  Doctor"),  Princeps 
ScholasUcorum-  ("Prince  of  Scholastics"),  Doctor 
E  celesta  ("Doctor  of  the  Church")  .  .  .  "Patron  of 
all  Catholic  Schools,"  were  conferred  on  him.  In  his 
fifth  year  he  was/  sent  for  his  early  education  to 
the  monastery  of  Monte  Cassino,  where  his  father's 
brother  Sinibald  was  abbot.  Later  he  studied  in 
Naples.  He  entered  the  Dominican  order  in  1243, 
and  his  family  sent  him  to  Cologne  to  study  under 
Albertus  Magnus.  He  taught  in  Paris  for  several 
years,  and  there  wrote  certain  of  his  works,  and 
began  others.  At  the  solicitation  of  Pope  Urban 
IV.  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Rome.  On  July  18, 
1323,  he  was  pronounced  a  saint  by  John  XXII. 
at  Avignon.  He  had  two  great  gifts — talent  for 
sj'stematizing  and  the  power  of  simple  and  lucid 
expression.  "The  passion  of  his  soul  was  the  search 
for  the  truth  involving  the  inner  struggle  for  the 
knowledge  of  God."  His  writings  cover  a  wide 
field — esegetical,  homiletical,  liturgical,  dogmatic, 
apologetic,  ethical,  and  philosophical.  His  princi- 
pal works  are :  "A  Commentary  on  the  Four  Books 
of  Sentences  of  Peter  Lombard,"  the  "Summa 
Theologiae"  (this  is  the  first  attempt  at  a  complete 
theological  system),  "Qua3stiones  Disputatae  et 
Quodlibetales,"  and  "Opuscula  Theologica." 


70 


t$e  perfection  ot  tlje  Spiritual 

to  Sr  Dn&rrsitoob 

to  Cljantg 


At  the  outset  of  our  work  we  must  bear  in 
mind  that  the  word  "perfect"  is  used  in 
several  senses.  A  thing  may  be  absolutely 
perfect  (simpliciter)  ,  or  it  may  be  perfect 
relatively  (secundum  quid).  That  which  is 
perfect  absolutely  attains  the  end  to  which, 
according  to  its  own  nature,  it  is  adapted. 
That  which  is  relatively  perfect  is  that  which 
attains  to  the  perfection  of  one  of  those  qual- 
ities which  are  concomitant  to  its  own  nature. 
Thus,  an  animal  is  said  to  be  perfect  absolutely 
when  it  attains  to  its  end  in  so  far  as  to  lack 
nothing  necessary  to  the  integrity  of  animal 
life  ;  when,  for  instance,  it  possesses  the  requi- 
site number  and  the  proper  disposition  of  its 
limbs,  and  the  faculties  necessary  for  per- 
forming the  operations  of  animal  life.  An 
animal  is,  on  the  other  hand  perfect  relatively, 
if  it  be  perfect  in  any  attribute  concomitant 
to  its  nature,  its  color,  for  instance,  its  odor, 
etc. 

In  the  spiritual  life  a  man  may  be  called 
perfect  absolutely,  i.e.,  perfect  in  that  wherein 

By  arrangement  with  Sands  &  Co.,  London. 
71 


Classics! 

the  spiritual  life  principally  consists.  He 
may,  also,  be  perfect  relatively,  i.e.,  perfect 
in  some  quality  which  is  a  condition  of  the 
spiritual  life.  Now,  the  spiritual  life  con- 
sists, principally,  in  charity.  For  he  that  is 
without  charity  is  spiritually  naught.  Hence 
St.  Paul  says  (1  Cor.  13:2),  "If  I  should 
have  all  prophecy,  and  should  know  all  mys- 
teries and  all  knowledge ;  and  if  I  should  have 
all  faith,  so  that  I  could  remove  mountains, 
and  have  not  charity,  I  am  nothing."1  And 
the  blessed  Apostle  John  declares,  that  the 
whole  spiritual  life  consists  in  love,  saying, 
"We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death 
to  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  He  that 
loveth  not  abideth  in  death"  (1  John  3:14). 
Therefore,  he  that  is  perfect  in  charity  is  said 
to  be  perfect  in  the  spiritual  life  absolutely. 
But  he  that  is  perfect  relatively  is  perfect 
in  something  incidental  to  the  spiritual  life. 
This  is  evident  from  the  words  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture. St.  Paul  considers  charity  as  the  chief 
element  in  perfection.  He  enumerates  several 
virtues,  such  as  mercy,  benignity,  and  humil- 
ity, and  then  concludes  by  saying,  "But 
above  all  these  things,  have  charity,  which  is 
the  bond  of  perfection"  (Col.  3).  Some  men 
are  also  said  to  be  perfect  in  point  of  under- 
standing, "In  malice  be  children,  and  in 

!The  Scripture  quotations  follow  the  Vulgate. 
72 


&aint 

sense  be  perfect,"  writes  St.  Paul  to  the 
Corinthians  (1  Cor.  14:20).  Elsewhere  in 
the  same  epistle,  he  bids  them  "be  perfect 
in  the  same  mind  and  in  the  same  judgment" 
(1  Cor.  1  :  10)  ;  altho,  as  has  been  said,  a  man 
who  has  perfect  knowledge,  without  charity, 
must  be  judged  to  be  nothing.  Thus  also, 
a  man  may  be  said  to  be  perfect  in  patience 
which  "worketh  a  perfect  work,"  as  St.  James 
says,  perfect  also  in  other  virtues.  There  is 
nothing  surprizing  in  this  manner  of  speak- 
ing, for  persons  may  be  perfect  in  their  vices. 
Thus  we  may  talk  of  a  man  being  "a  perfect 
thief"  or  "a  perfect  robber."  Indeed,  this 
mode  of  expression  is  used  in  Holy  Scripture, 
for  Isaiah  says  (chap.  30:6),  "his  heart 
(i.e.,  the  heart  of  the  fool)  will  work  iniquity 
to  perfect  hypocrisy." 

perfection  3fg  flflnfcergtoofc  to  S^ean 
tfjr  Hobe  of  Gob  anfc  tljr  Hofc  of 


The  perfection  of  the  spiritual  life  may  be 
understood  as  signifying  principally  perfec- 
tion, as  it  regards  charity.  Now  there  are  two 
precepts  of  charity,  one  pertaining  to  the  love 
of  God,  the  other  referring  to  the  love  of  our 
neighbor.  These  two  precepts  bear  a  certain 
order  to  each  other,  proportioned  to  the  order 

73 


Drbotional 

of  charity.  That  which  is  chiefly  to  be  loved, 
by  charity,  is  the  Supreme  Good,  which  makes 
us  happy — that  is  to  say,  God.  In  the  next 
place,  we  are,  by  charity,  to  love  our  neighbor, 
who  is,  by  certain  social  bonds,  united  to  us, 
either  by  the  anticipation  of  beatitude,  or  in 
the  enjoyment  of  it.  Hence,  we  are  bound  in 
charity  to  love  our  neighbor,  in  order  that  to- 
gether with  him  we  may  arrive  at  beatitude. 
Our  Lord  establishes  this  order  of  charity 
in  the  gospel  of  Matt.  22 : 37,  where  he  says, 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy 
whole  heart  and  thy  whole  soul  and  thy  whole 
mind.  This  is  the  first  and  greatest  command- 
ment; and  the  second  is  like  to  this:  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. ' '  Thus  the 
perfection  of  the  spiritual  life  consists  pri- 
marily and  principally  in  the  love  of  God. 
Hence  the  Lord,  speaking  to  Abraham,  says, 
' '  I  am  the  almighty  God ;  walk  before  me  and 
be  perfect"  (Gen.  17:1).  We  walk  before 
God,  not  with  bodily  footsteps,  but  with  the 
affections  of  the  mind.  The  perfection  of  the 
spiritual  life  consists,  secondarily,  in  the  love 
of  our  neighbor.  Therefore  when  the  Lord 
had  said,  "Love  your  enemies"  (Matt.  5: 
44),  and  had  added  several  other  precepts  re- 
garding charity  to  our  neighbor,  he  concluded 
by  saying,  "  Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  as  also 
your  heavenly  Father  is  perfect." 

74 


Smint  {^omasi  3quina0 


Of  t|e  pntrrtion  of  £>ibwt  Eobe 
3n  d&ofc  alone 


In  each  of  the  two  divisions  of  charity  there 
are  many  degrees.  As  regards  the  love  of  God, 
the  first  and  supreme  degree  of  perfection 
of  divine  love  belongs  to  God  alone.  This  is 
the  case  on  account  both  of  the  One  who  is 
loved,  and  of  the  one  who  loves.  It  is  the  case 
on  account  of  the  loved  one,  because  every 
object  is  loved  in  proportion  to  the  qualities 
which  make  it  lovable.  It  is  the  case  on  ac- 
count of  the  lover,  because  an  object  is  loved 
in  proportion  to  the  whole  capacity  of  the  one 
who  loves.  Now,  as  every  object  is  lovable  in 
proportion  to  its  goodness,  the  goodness  of 
God,  which  is  infinite,  must  be  infinitely 
lovable.  But  no  creature  can  love  infinitely, 
because  no  finite  power  is  able  to  elicit  an 
infinite  act.  Therefore,  God  alone,  whose 
power  of  loving  equals  his  goodness,  can  love 
himself  perfectly  in  the  first  degree  of  perfec- 
tion. 


75 


&tbotional  Classics 

Of  tfje  perfection  of  SDibitu  lobr 
<£*istg  3n  ^Jogfe  TOO  ^abr  flttaituo 
to  Blegse&negg 

[That  is,  in  heaven.] 

The  only  mode  of  loving  God  perfectly 
which  is  possible  to  rational  creatures  is  the 
mode  which  belongs  to  him  that  loves.  In 
this  manner  a  rational  creature  loves  God 
with  all  the  completeness  of  his  nature.  This 
is  made  clear  in  the  precept  of  divine  love. 
"We  read  in  Deuteronomy  (6:5),  "Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart, 
and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
strength."  St.  Luke  (10:27)  adds,  "and 
with  all  thy  mind";  as  if  the  "heart"  regu- 
lated the  intention,  the  "mind"  the  thought, 
the  "soul"  the  affections,  and  the  "strength" 
the  activities.  For  all  these  must  be  devoted 
to  the  love  of  God.  "We  must  remember  that 
this  precept  may  be  fulfilled  in  a  twofold  man- 
ner. When  anything  is  perfect,  nothing  is 
wanting  to  it.  Hence,  when  the  love  of  God  is 
complete  and  perfect,  he  is  loved  with  the 
whole  heart,  and  soul,  and  strength;  so  that 
there  is  nothing  within  us  which  is  not  ac- 
tually turned  to  God. 

This  perfect  mode  of  love  is  not  possible 
to  those  who  are  on  the  way  to  heaven,  but 

76 


only  to  those  who  have  reached  their  goal. 
Hence,  St.  Paul  writing  to  the  Philippians 
says  (chap.  3: 12),  "Not  as  though  I  had  al- 
ready attained,  or  were  already  perfect ;  but  I 
follow  after,  if  I  may  by  any  means  appre- 
hend." He  writes  as  if  he  were  hoping  for  per- 
fection when  he  should  have  reached  his  goal, 
and  when  he  should  have  received  the  palm  of 
the  blessed.  But  St.  Paul  does  not  use  the  word 
"attaining"  in  the  sense  of  entire  possession 
or  perfect  comprehension,  for  God  in  this 
sense  is  incomprehensible  to  every  creature. 
By  "attaining"  he  means  reaching  the  end 
which  he  has  been  following  and  seeking.  In 
heaven  the  understanding  and  the  will  of 
every  rational  creature  is  turned  to  God ;  since 
it  is  in  the  fruition  of  the  Godhead  that  the 
beatitude  of  heaven  consists.  For  beatitude 
exists  not  in  habit,  but.  in  act.  And,  since  the 
rational  creatures  will  in  heaven  cleave  to 
God,  the  Supreme  Truth,  as  to  its  last  end,  all 
its  activities  will,  by  intention,  likewise  be 
directed  to  that  last  end,  and  will  all  be  dis- 
posed toward  the  attainment  of  that  end. 
Consequently,  in  that  perfection  of  happiness 
the  rational  creature  will  love  God  with  its 
whole  heart;  since  its  whole  intention  in  all 
its  thoughts,  deeds,  and  affections,  will  be 
wholly  directed  to  him.  It  will  love  God  with 
its  whole  mind,  for  its  mind  will  be  ever  ac- 

77 


SDebotfonal  Classics? 

tually  fixt  on  him,  beholding  him,  and  seeing 
all  things  in  him,  and  judging  of  all  things 
according  to  his  truth.  It  will  love  God  with 
its  whole  soul,  for  all  its  affection  will  be 
uninterruptedly  flxt  on  him,  and  for  his  sake 
it  will  love  all  things.  It  will  love  God  with 
all  its  strength,  since  his  love  will  be  the 
motive  governing  all  its  exterior  acts.  This, 
then,  is  the  second  mode  of  perfect  love,  and 
this  love  is  the  portion  only  of  the  blessed. 


tlje  perfection  of  SDifcine  Eobe 
to  fealbation 


There  is  another  way  in  which  we  love  God 
with  our  whole  heart  and  soul  and  strength. 
We  so  love  him,  if  there  be  nothing  in  us  which 
is  wanting  to  divine  love;  that  is  to  say,  if 
there  is  nothing  which  we  do  not,  actually  or 
habitually,  refer  to  God.  We  are  given  a  pre- 
cept concerning  this  form  of  divine  love. 

First,  we  are  taught  to  refer  everything  to 
God  as  to  our  End  by  the  words  of  the  apostle 
(1  Cor.  10:31),  "Whether  you  eat  or  drink, 
or  whatsoever  else  you  do,  do  all  to  the  glory 
of  God."  We  fulfil  this  precept  when  we 
order  our  life  to  the  service  of  God;  and 
when,  in  consequence,  all  our  actions  are  vir- 
tually directed  to  him,  save  those  that  are 

78 


sinful,  which  therefore  withdraw  us  from  him. 
While  we  act  thus,  we  love  God  with  our 
whole  heart. 

Secondly,  we  love  God  with  our  whole  mind 
when  we  subject  our  understanding  to  him, 
believing  what  has  been  divinely  transmitted 
to  us,  according  to  the  words  of  St.  Paul  (2 
Cor.  10 :  5 ) ,  "  Bringing  into  captivity  every 
understanding  unto  the  obedience  of  Christ." 

Thirdly,  we  love  God  with  our  whole  soul 
when  all  that  we  love  is  loved  in  God,  and 
when  we  refer  all  our  affections  to  the  love 
of  him.  St.  Paul  expresses  this  love  in  the 
following  words:  "For  whether  we  be  trans- 
ported in  mind  it  is  to  God,  or  whether  we 
be  sober,  it  is  for  you;  for  the  charity  of 
Christ  presseth  us"  (2  Cor.  5:13). 

Fourthly,  we  love  God  with  our  whole 
strength,  when  all  our  words  and  works  are 
established  in  divine  charity  according  to  the 
precept  of  St.  Paul,  "Let  all  your  things  be 
done  in  charity"  (1  Cor.  16 : 14) .  This,  then, 
is  the  third  degree  of  perfection  of  divine 
love,  to  which  all  are  bound  of  necessity  and 
by  precept.  But  the  second  degree  is  not 
possible  in  this  life,  save  to  one  who,  like  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is,  at  the  same  time,  both 
traveling  on  the  road  to  heaven  and  enjoying 
the  happiness  of  the  blessed. 


79 


SDibotional  Classics 


ct)c  Perfection  ot  Dibine 

a  Barter  of  Counsel 

"When  St.  Paul  had  said  to  the  Philippians, 
''Not  as  tho  I  had  already  attained,  or  were 
already  perfect,"  he  continued,  "but  I  fol- 
low after,  if  I  may  by  any  means  apprehend. ' ' 
Shortly  afterward  he  added,  "  Let  us  there- 
fore, as  many  as  are  perfect,  be  thus  minded. ' ' 
From  these  words  it  is  plain  that,  altho  the 
perfection  of  the  blessed  is  not  possible  to  us 
in  this  life,  we  ought,  nevertheless,  to  endea- 
vor as  far  as  we  can  to  emulate  it.  Now,  it  is  in 
this  effort  that  consists  the  perfection  in  this 
life,  to  which  we  are  invited  by  the  counsels. 

It  is  abundantly  clear,  that  the  human  heart 
is  more  intensely  attracted  to  one  object  in 
proportion  as  it  is  withdrawn  from  a  multi- 
plicity of  desires.  Therefore,  the  more  a  man 
is  delivered  from  solicitude  concerning  tem- 
poral matters,  the  more  perfectly  he  will  be 
enabled  to  love  God.  Hence  St.  Augustine 
says,  De  diversis  Qucestionibus,  83,  that  the 
hope  of  gaining  or  keeping  material  wealth 
is  the  poison  of  charity;  that  as  charity  in- 
creases, cupidity  diminishes;  and  that  when 
charity  becomes  perfect,  cupidity  ceases  to 
exist.  Hence,  all  the  c6unsels  which  call  man 
to  perfection  tend  to  withdraw  his  affections 

80 


V.  3 


&aint  ZTfjomas  jaquinas 

from  temporal  objects;  so  that  his  soul  is 
enabled  the  more  freely  to  turn  to  God  by 
contemplating  him,  loving  him,  and  fulfilling 
his  will. 

[The  author  In  subsequent  chapters  states  as  means 
of  attaining  perfection,  the  renunciation  of  earthly  pos- 
sessions and  of  earthly  ties  and  matrimony,  and  the 
abnegation  of  one's  own  will,  and  argues  that  these  be- 
long especially  to  the  religious  (i.e.,  monastic)  state.  He 
then  treats  of  brotherly  and  neighborly  love,  and  gives 
the  constituents  of  "the  state  of  perfection."] 


fetatr  ot  perfection  30  a  Contrition 
Befitting  Bisfjops  ant)  l&eligioug 

[It  will  be  recognized  that  by  "religious"  is  meant 
"monastics."] 

From  all  that  has  been  said  it  is  easy  to  see 
which  are  the  classes  of  men  whom  the  state 
of  perfection  befits.  We  know  that  there  are 
three  roads  to  the  perfection  of  divine  love, 
to  wit  the  giving  up  of  material  possessions; 
the  sacrifice  of  marriage  and  of  earthly  ties  ; 
and  total  self-denial  either  by  death  for  Christ, 
or  by  the  abnegation  of  self-will.  Now,  they 
who  by  vow  dedicate  their  whole  lives  to  these 
works  of  perfection  manifestly  embrace  the 
state  of  perfection.  And,  as  in  every  religious 
order  these  three  vows  are  made,  it  is  plain 
that  every  form  of  religious  life  is  included 
in  the  state  of  perfection. 

Ill— 6  81 


SDebotional  Classics 

Again,  we  have  pointed  out  that  there  are 
three  elements  in  the  perfection  of  brotherly 
love.  It  is  necessary  to  perfect  brotherly  love, 
first,  that  a  man  may  love  his  enemies  and 
assist  them;  secondly,  that  he  may  lay  down 
his  life  for  the  brethren  either  by  exposing 
himself  to  the  danger  of  death  or  by  devoting 
his  whole  life  to  their  service;  and  thirdly, 
that  he  minister  to  their  spiritual  needs.  Now, 
bishops  are  bound  to  fulfil  these  three  offices 
of  charity.  As  they  undertake  the  entire 
charge  of  their  churches,  wherein  oftentimes 
many  will  be  found  to  hate,  persecute,  and 
revile  them,  they  are  under  the  obligation  of 
repaying  their  enemies  and  persecutors  by 
benevolence  and  charity,  after  the  example 
of  the  apostles,  whose  successors  they  are,  and 
who  dwelt  among  those  most  hostile  to  them 
and  labored  for  their  conversion.  Thus  were 
verified  the  words  of  our  Lord  (Matt.  10 : 16), 
"  Behold  I  send  you  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 
wolves."  For,  altho  the  apostles  were,  so  to 
speak,  torn  by  their  enemies,  they  were  not 
destroyed,  but  on  the  contrary  they  converted 
those  who  maltreated  them.  St.  Augustine 
in  his  book,  De  Sermone  Domini  in  monte,  has 
the  following  commentary  on  the  words,  "If 
one  strike  thee  on  thy  right  cheek,  turn  to 
him  the  other  also"  (Matt.  5:39):  "These 
words  (he  says),  inviting  us  to  mercy,  appeal 

82 


feafnt  Cfiomas  flquinas 

most  to  such  as  have  to  minister  to  those  whom 
they  love,  whether  they  be  children  or  men  of 
frenzied  brain.  For  from  such  persons  they 
suffer  much ;  and  they  are  prepared,  if  need 
be,  to  suffer  more.  Thus,  the  great  Physician 
and  Master  of  souls  instructs  his  disciples 
that  they  must  bear  with  serenity  the  follies 
of  those  whose  salvation  they  desire  to  secure. 
For  crime  is  an  indication  of  a  weak  mind, 
as  innocence  is  a  proof  of  perfect  strength.'* 
Hence  St.  Paul,  writing  to  the  Corinthians, 
says,  "We  are  reviled  and  we  bless;  we  are 
persecuted  and  we  suffer  it ;  we  are  blasphemed 
and  we  entreat"  (1  Cor.  4:12). 

Bishops  are  further  bound  to  sacrifice  their 
lives  for  the  salvation  of  those  committed  to 
them,  and  thus  to  put  in  practise  the  words 
of  our  Lord,  "I  am  the  Good  Shepherd:  the 
Good  Shepherd  layeth  down  his  life  for  his 
sheep"  (John  10:11).  Speaking  of  these 
words  St.  Gregory  says,  "In  the  gospel  which 
has  been  read  to  you,  beloved  brethren,  you- 
learn  both  a  lesson  for  yourselves  and  the 
danger  which  threatens  us.  There  is  set  be- 
fore us  both  the  contempt  of  death,  with  which 
we  ought  to  be  inspired,  and  the  model  that  we 
ought  to  imitate."  He  further  adds,  "Our 
first  duty  is  in  charity  to  distribute  our  goods 
to  our  sheep;  and  we  are  further  bound,  if 
need  be,  to  serve  them  by  our  death.  .  .  .  The 

83 


wolf  that  cometh  upon  the  sheep  signifies  any 
unjust  seducer  or  oppressor  of  the  faithful 
and  the  lowly.  He  that  is  no  true  shepherd, 
but  only  bears  the  semblance  of  such,  will 
leave  his  sheep  and  take  to  flight,  being  too 
fearful  of  death  to  dare  to  resist  iniquity." 
From  these  words  it  is  clear,  that  it  is  one 
of  the  duties  of  those  discharging  the  epis- 
copal office  to  face  death  for  the  sake  of  the 
church  committed  to  them. 

Hence,  those  who  undertake  this  office  are 
bound  to  practise  such  perfection  of  charity 
as  consists  in  the  sacrifice  of  their  life  for 
the  brethren.  In  the  same  manner,  a  bishop 
is  bound  by  his  office  to  dispense  spiritual 
gifts  to  his  neighbor,  and  thus  to  become  a 
mediator  between  God  and  man,  acting  in 
the  place  of  him  who  is  "the  one  Mediator 
of  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus" 
(1  Tim.  2).  Moses,  speaking  as  a  type  of 
our  Lord,  said,  "I  was  the  mediator  and 
stood  between  the  Lord  and  you,  at  that  time ' ' 
(Deut.  5:1).  Hence,  a  bishop  must,  in  the 
name  of  his  people,  offer  up  prayers  and 
supplications  to  God.  ' '  For  every  high  priest 
taken  from  among  men,  is  ordained  for  men 
in  the  things  that  appertain  to  God,  that  he 
may  offer  up  gifts  and  sacrifices  for  sins" 
(Heb.  5:1).  And,  on  the  other  hand,  he  must 
act  with  regard  to  his  people  as  the  vicar  of 

84 


feamt  U&omasf  Aquinas 

God,  giving  to  his  flock  by  the  power  of  the 
Lord,  judgment,  instruction,  example,  and 
sacraments.  St.  Paul  says,  "For  what  I  have 
pardoned,  if  I  have  pardoned  anything,  for 
your  sakes  have  I  done  it  in  the  person  of 
Christ"  (2  Cor.  2:10).  Again,  in  the  same 
epistle  (13:  3),  he  says,  "Do  you  seek  a  proof 
of  Christ  that  speaketh  in  me?"  Again  (1 
Cor.  9: 11),  he  uses  these  words,  "If  we  have 
sown  unto  you  spiritual  things,  it  is  a  great 
matter  if  we  reap-  your  carnal  things  ? ' '  Now 
a  bishop,  at  his  ordination  or  consecration, 
and  a  religious  at  his  profession,  engages  him- 
self to  this  degree  of  perfection.  St.  Paul  en- 
courages St.  Timothy  to  its  practise,  in  the 
following  words:  "Fight  the  good  fight  of 
faith :  lay  hold  on  eternal  life,  whereunto  thou 
art  called,  and  hast  confessed  a  good  confession 
before  many  witnesses"  (1  Tim.  6: 12).  This 
"good  confession"  is  interpreted  by  the  gloss 
to  mean  ordination.  Hence,  bishops,  as  well 
as  religious,  are  bound  to  a  state  of  perfec- 
tion. And,  as  human  contracts  are  drawn 
up  with  certain  ceremonies,  so,  both  the  con- 
secration of  bishops  and  the  profession  of  re- 
ligious, are  solemnized  by  certain  rites  and 
blessings.  Dionysius  (Ecclesiastica  Hier- 
archia,  6),  speaking  of  monks,  says,  "On  this 
account  the  holy  law  has  given  them  perfect 
grace,  and  has  vouchsafed  to  bestow  it  on  them 

85 


Scbotional 

with  a  certain  sanctifying  ceremonial  (invoca- 
tione)." 

[The  remaining  chapters  deal  with  the  episcopal  and 
pastoral  offices  and  functions.] 


Si  Draper  jftom  tfyt  CSmfc  Cljutrij 

We  bless  and  praise  and  magnify  thee,  O 
God  of  our  fathers,  who  hast  led  us  out  of  the 
shadows  of  night  once  more  into  the  light 
of  day.  Unto  thy  loving-kindness  we  make 
our  entreaty;  be  merciful  to  our  misdeeds; 
accept  our  prayers  in  the  fulness  of  thy  com- 
passions, for  thou  art  our  refuge  from  one 
generation  to  another,  0  merciful  and  al- 
mighty God.  Suffer  the  true  sun  of  thy  right- 
eousness to  shine  in  our  hearts,  enlighten  our 
reason,  and  purify  our  senses ;  that  so  we  may 
walk  honestly  as  in  the  day,  in  the  way  of 
thy  commandments,  and  reach  at  last  the  life 
eternal,  where  we  shall  rejoice  in  thy  inacces- 
sible life.  For  thou  art  the  fountain  of  life, 
and  in  thy  light  shall  we  see  light.  AMEN. 


86 


SELECTION   FROM 

Sermons; 


FROM  THE  TRANSLATION 

BY 
CLAUD   FIELD,   M.A. 


87 


JOHANNES  ECKHART  (OR  ECKHARDT) 

German  scholastic  and  mystic,  called  "Meister  (or 
Master)  Eckhart";  he  was  born  at  Hochheim,  and 
the  date  of  his  birth  was  probably  1260,  and  of  his 
death  1327.  He  joined  the  Dominicans  at  Erfurt. 
Later  on  he  was  prior  at  Erfurt  and  provincial  in 
Tburingia.  He  was  made  provincial  of  his  order 
for  Saxony  in  1303,  and  vicar-general  in  1307.  In 
1311  he  was  appointed  by  the  general  chapter  of 
Naples  as  teacher  at  Paris.  After  that  time  he 
went  to  Strasburg,  then  to  Cologne.  He  was  ar- 
raigned by  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne  for  heresy, 
but  the  accusation  was  not  sustained.  Two  years 
after  his  death  his  writings  were  condemned  by  a 
papal  bull  of  John  XXII.  "His  thoughts  are  con- 
centrated on  the  divine  being  in  its  unity  and 
trinity ;  on  the  relation  between  God  and  the  human 
soul ;  on  the  nature  of  the  soul ;  on  regeneration  and 
union  with  God."  His  material  is  scattered  through 
a  number  of  works.  Consult :  Pf eiffer,  "Meister 
Eckhart,"  second  volume  of  "Deutsche  Mystiker" 
(Leipzig,  1857) ;  Martensen,  "Meister  Eckhart" 
(Hamburg,  1842) ;  Preger,  "Geschichte  der 
deutschen  Mystik  im  Mittelalter"  (Leipzig,  1874) ; 
"Meister  Eckhart's  mystische  Schriften"  (Berlin, 
1903);  "Schriften  und  Predigen"  (Jena,  1909); 
Hartmann,  "Die  Geheimlehre  in  der  christlische 
Religion  nach  den  Erklarungen  von  Meister  Eck- 
hart" (Leipzig.  1895) ;  Vaughan,  "Hours  with  the 
Mystics"  (London,  1860). 


88 


anti  Sntoarb 

[The  grace  of  God. — 1  Cor.  15  : 10.] 

Grace  is  from  God,  and  works  in  the  depth 
of  the  soul  whose  powers  it  employs.  It  is  a 
light  which  issues  forth  to  do  service  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Spirit.  The  divine  light 
permeates  the  soul,  and  lifts  it  above  the 
turmoil  of  temporal  things  to  rest  in  God. 
The  soul  can  not  progress  except  with  the 
light  which  God  has  given  it  as  a  nuptial  gift ; 
love  works  the  likeness  of  God  into  the  soul. 
The  peace,  freedom  and  blessedness  of  all 
souls  consist  in  their  abiding  in  God's  will. 
Toward  this  union  with  God  for  which  it  is 
created  the  soul  strives  perpetually.  Fire 
converts  wood  into  its  own  likeness,  and  the 
stronger  the  wind  blows,  the  greater  grows 
the  fire.  Now  by  the  fire  understand  love,  and 
by  the  wind  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  stronger 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  brighter 
grows  the  fire  of  love;  but  not  all  at  once, 
rather  gradually  as  the  soul  grows.  Light 
causes  flowers  and  plants  to  grow  and  bear 
fruit ;  in  animals  it  produces  life,  but  in  men 
blessedness.  This  comes  from  the  grace  of 

By  kind  permission  of  H.  R.  Allenson  &  Co.,  London. 
89 


IBDebotional 

God,  who  uplifts  the  soul,  for  if  the  soul  is  to 
grow  God-like  it  must  be  lifted  above  itself. 

To  produce  real  moral  freedom,  God's  grace 
and  man 's  will  must  cooperate.  As  God  is  the 
Prime  Mover  of  nature,  so  also  he  creates  free 
impulses  toward  himself  and  to  all  good 
things.  Grace  renders  the  will  free  that  it 
may  do  everything  with  God's  help,  working 
with  grace  as  with  an  instrument  which  be- 
longs to  it.  So  the  will  arrives  at  freedom 
through  love,  nay,  becomes  itself  love,  for 
love  unites  with  God.  All  true  morality,  in- 
ward and  outward,  is  comprehended  in  love, 
for  love  is  the  foundation  of  all  the  com- 
mandments. 

All  outward  morality  must  be  built  upon 
this  basis,  not  on  self-interest.  As  long  as 
man  loves  something  else  than  God,  or  outside 
God,  he  is  not  free,  because  he  has  not  love. 
Therefore  there  is  no  inner  freedom  which 
does  not  manifest  itself  in  works  of  love.  True 
freedom  is  the  government  of  nature  in  and 
outside  man  through  God ;  freedom  is  essential 
existence  unaffected  by  creatures.  But  love 
often  begins  with  fear;  fear  is  the  approach 
to  love :  fear  is  like  the  awl  which  draws  the 
shoemaker's  thread  through  the  leather. 

As  for  outward  works,  they  are  ordained 
for  this  purpose — that  the  outward  man  may 
be  directed  to  God.  But  the  inner  work,  the 

90 


work  of  God  in  the  soul,  is  the  chief  matter; 
when  a  man  finds  this  within  himself,  he  can 
let  go  externals.  No  law  is  given  to  the 
righteous,  because  he  fulfils  the  law  inwardly, 
and  bears  it  in  himself,  for  the  least  thing 
done  by  God  is  better  than  all  the  work  of 
creatures.  But  this  is  intended  for  those 
who  are  enlightened  by  God  and  the  Holy 
Scriptures. 

But  here  on  earth  man  never  attains  to 
being  unaffected  by  external  things.  There 
never  was  a  saint  so  great  as  to  be  immov- 
able. I  can  never  arrive  at  a  state  when 
discord  shall  be  as  pleasing  to  my  ears  as 
harmony.  Some  people  wish  to  do  without 
good  works.  I  say,  this  can  not  be.  As  soon 
as  the  disciples  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  they 
began  to  work.  When  Mary  sat  at  the  feet  of 
our  Lord  that  was  her  school  time.  But  after- 
ward when  Christ  went  to  heaven  and  she 
received  the  Holy  Spirit,  she  began  to  serve 
and  was  a  handmaid  of  the  disciples.  When 
saints  become  saints,  they  begin  to  work,  and 
so  gather  to  the  refuge  of  everlasting  safety. 

How  can  a  man  abide  in  love,  when  he 
does  not  keep  God's  commands  which  issue 
forth  from  love?  How  can  the  inner  man 
be  born  in  God,  when  the  outer  man  abides 
not  in  the  following  of  Christ,  in  self-morti- 
fication, and  in  suffering,  for  there  is  no  being 

91 


SDibotional  Classics 

born  of  God,  except  through  Christ.  Love  is 
the  fulfilling  of  all  commands;  therefore 
however  much  man  strives  to  reach  this  free- 
dom, the  body  can  never  quite  attain  thereto, 
and  must  be  ever  in  conflict.  Seeing  that  good 
works  are  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  man 
can  never  do  without  them.  The  aim  of  man 
is  not  outward  holiness  by  works,  but  life  in 
God,  yet  this  last  expresses  itself  in  works 
of  love. 

Outward  as  well  as  inward  morality  helps  to 
form  the  idea  of  true  Christian  freedom. 
We  are  right  to  lay  stress  on  inwardness,  but 
in  this  world  there  is  no  inwardness  without 
an  outward  expression.  If  we  regard  the  soul 
as  the  formulative  principle  of  the  body,  and 
God  as  the  formulative  principle  of  the  soul, 
we  have  a  profounder  principle  of  ethics  than 
is  found  in  pantheism.  The  fundamental 
thought  of  this  system  is  the  real  distinction 
between  God  and  the  world,  together  with 
their  real  inseparability,  for  only  really  dis- 
tinct elements  can  interpenetrate  each  other. 

The  inner  work  is  first  of  all  the  work  of 
God's  grace  in  the  depth  of  the  soul  which 
subsequently  distributes  itself  among  the 
faculties  of  the  soul,  in  that  of  reason  appear- 
ing as  belief,  in  that  of  will  as  love,  and  in 
that  of  desire  as  hope.  When  the  divine  light 
penetrates  the  soul,  it  is  united  with  God  as 

92 


light  with  light.  This  is  the-  light  of  faith. 
Faith  bears  the  soul  to  heights  unreachable  by 
her  natural  senses  and  faculties. 

As  the  peculiar  faculty  of  the  eye  is  to  see 
form  and  color,  and  of  the  ear  to  hear  sweet 
tones  and  voices,  so  is  aspiration  peculiar  to 
the  soul.  To  relax  from  ceaseless  aspiration 
is  sin.  This  energy  of  aspiration  directed  to 
and  grasping  God,  as  far  as  is  possible  for 
the  creature,  is  called  hope,  which  is  also  a 
divine  virtue.  Through  this  faculty  the  soul 
acquires  such  great  confidence  that  she  deems 
nothing  in  the  divine  nature  beyond  her  reach. 

The  third  faculty  is  the  inward  will,  which, 
always  turned  to  God  like  a  face,  absorbs  to 
itself  love  from  God.  According  to  the  di- 
verse directions  in  which  redemptive  grace 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  is  imparted  to  the 
different  faculties  of  men,  it  finds  correspond- 
ing expression  as  one  of  the  Spirit's  seven 
gifts.  This  impartation  constitutes  man's 
spiritual  birth,  which  brings  him  out  of  sin 
into  a  state  of  grace,  while  natural  birth  makes 
him  a  sinner. 

As  God  can  be  seen  only  by  his  own  light, 
so  he  can  be  loved  only  by  his  own  love.  The 
merely  natural  man  is  incapable  of  this,  be- 
cause nature  by  itself  is  incapable  of  respond- 
ing to  the  divine  love,  and  is  confined  within 
its  own  circle.  Therefore  it  is  necessary  for 

93 


SrbotioncI  dlasoirsf 

grace,  which  is  a  simple  supernatural  power, 
to  elevate  the  natural  faculties  to  union  in 
God  above  the  merely  temporal  objects  of  ex- 
istence. The  possibility  of  love  to  God  is 
grounded  in  the  relative  likeness  between  man 
and  God.  If  the  soul  is  to  reach  its  moral 
goal,  i.e.,  godlikeness,  it  must  become  inward- 
ly like  God  through  grace  and  a  spiritual 
birth  which  is  the  spring  of  true  morality. 

The  inner  work  that  man  has  to  do  is  the 
practical  realization  of  grace;  without  this, 
all  outward  work  is  ineffectual  for  salvation. 
Virtue  is  never  mere  virtue,  it  is  either  from 
God,  or  through  God,  or  in  God.  All  the 
soul's  works  which  are  to  inherit  an  everlast- 
ing recompense  must  be  carried  on  in  God. 
They  are  rewarded  by  him  in  proportion  as 
they  are  carried  on  in  him,  for  the  soul  is  an 
instrument  of  God,  whereby  he  carries  on  his 
work. 

The  essence  of  morality  is  inwardness,  the 
intensity  of  will  from  which  it  springs,  and 
the  nobleness  of  the  aim  for  which  it  is  prac- 
tised. "When  a  good  work  is  done  by  a  man, 
he  is  free  of  it,  and  through  that  freedom  is 
liker  and  near  to  his  Original  than  he  was 
before. 

The  moral  task  of  man  is  a  process  of  spirit- 
ualization.  All  creatures  are  go-betweens,  and 
we  are  placed  in  time  that  by  diligence  in 

94 


spiritual  business  we  may  grow  liker  and 
nearer  to  God.  The  aim  of  man  is  beyond  the 
temporal — in  the  serene  region  of  the  ever- 
lasting present. 

In  this  sense  the  new  birth  of  man  is  the 
focus  toward  which  all  creation  strives,  be- 
cause man  is  the  image  of  God  after  the  like- 
ness of  which  the  world  is  created.  All  time 
strives  toward  eternity  or  the  timeless  now, 
out  of  which  it  issued  at  creation.  The  merely 
temporal  life  in  itself  is  a  negation  of  real 
being,  because  it  depends  on  itself  and  not  on 
the  deepest  foundation  of  life ;  therefore  also 
natural  love  is  cramped,  finite,  and  defective. 
It  must  through  grace  be  lifted  to  the  highest 
sphere  of  existence,  and  attain  to  freedom 
outside  the  narrow  confines  of  the  natural. 
Thereby  love  becomes  real  love,  because  only 
that  is  real  which  is  comprehended  and  loved 
in  its  essence.  Only  by  grace  man  comes  from 
the  temporal  and  transitory  to  be  one  with 
God.  This  lifting  of  manifoldness  to  unity 
is  the  supreme  aim  of  ethics;  by  this  the 
divine  birth  is  completed  on  the  side  of  man. 

This  passage  from  nothingness  to  real  being, 
this  quitting  of  oneself,  is  a  birth  accom- 
panied by  pain,  for  by  it  natural  love  is 
excluded.  All  grief  except  grief  for  sin  comes 
from  love  of  the  world.  In  God  is  neither  sor- 
row, nor  grief,  nor  trouble.  Wouldst  thou 

95 


SDibotional 

be  free  from  all  grief  and  trouble,  abide  and 
walk  in  God  and  to  God  alone.  As  long  as 
the  love  of  the  creature  is  in  us,  pain  can 
not  cease. 

This  is  the  chief  significance  of  the  suffer- 
ing of  Christ  for  us,  that  we  cast  all  our  grief 
into  the  ocean  of  his  suffering.  If  thou  suf- 
ferest  only  regarding  thyself,  from  whatever 
cause  it  may  be,  that  suffering  causes  grief  to 
thee,  and  is  hard  to  bear.  But  if  thou  suf- 
ferest  regarding  God  and  him  alone,  that 
suffering  is  not  grievous  nor  hard  to  bear, 
because  God  bears  the  load.  The  love  of  the 
cross  must  swallow  up  our  personal  grief. 
Whoso  does  not  suffer  from  love,  for  him 
sorrow  is  sorrow  and  grievous  to  bear;  but 
whoso  suffers  from  love  he  sorrows  not,  and 
his  suffering  is  fruitful  in  God.  Therefore  is 
sorrow  so  noble;  he  who  sorrows  most  is  the 
noblest.  Now  no  mortal 's  sorrow  was  like  the 
sorrow  which  Christ  bore ;  therefore  he  is  far 
nobler  than  any  man.  Verily  were  there 
anything  nobler  than  sorrow,  God  would  have 
redeemed  man  thereby.  Sorrow  is  the  root 
of  all  virtue. 

Through  the  higher  love  the  whole  life 
of  man  is  to  be  elevated  from  temporal  selfish- 
ness to  the  spring  of  all  love,  to  God:  man 
will  again  be  master  over  nature  by  abiding  in 
God  and  lifting  her  up  to  God. 

96 


SELECTIONS  FROM 

Cfie  Sermons  and  Conferences? 


OF 

JOHANN  TAULER 


III— 7  97 


JOHANN   TATTLER 

German  mystic;  born  at  Strasburg  about  1300; 
died  there  June  16,  1361.  Attracted  by  the  ascetic 
life  of  the  Dominicans,  Tauler  joined  that  order 
at  Strasburg  at  an  early  age.  Nicholas  of  Stras- 
burg  was  one  of  his  teachers  at  Cologne.  During 
Lent,  1339,  he  appeared  at  Basel,  having  been  driv- 
en from  Strasburg,  together  with  the  other  Domin- 
icans, in  consequence  of  suspending  mass  pur- 
suant to  the  interdict  of  John  XXII.  He  is  known 
to  have  been  there  at  the  beginning  of  1346,  and 
with  Henry  of  Nordlingen  was  the  center  of  a 
numerous  body  of  Friends  of  God.  In  1347,  or 
1348  at  the  latest,  he  was  preaching  at  Strasburg. 
The  following  are  among  his  works:  the  "Medulla 
animae"  (Frankfort,  1644) ;  "Sermon  des  gross  ge- 
larten  in  gnade"  (Leipsic,  1498;  German  trans- 
lation, Augsburg,  1508;  Basel,  1521;  Cologne, 
1543;  also  editions  in  Latin,  German  Roman  Cath- 
olic retranslation,  and  in  Italian,  Dutch,  and 
French).  Later  editions,  going  back  to  the  old 
prints,  are :  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  1826 ;  and  Ber- 
lin, 1841.  In  English  are:  "Golden  Thoughts  on 
the  Higher  Life"  (Glasgow,  1897) ;  "The  Inner 
War,  36  Sermons  for  Festivals  by  John  Tauler" 
(translated  with  Introduction  by  A.  W.  Hutton, 
London,  1905) ;  "Conferences  and  Sermons  of 
John  Tauler:  Being  His  Spirit  Doctrine"  (first 
complete  translation  by  Rev.  W.  Elliot,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  1911). 


98 


Union  COlitfj  Cob 

[That  they  all  may  be  one.  as  thou,  Father,  In  me,  and 
I  in  thee  .  .  .  and  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me ;  that  they 
may  be  made  perfect  in  one. — John  17  :  21-23.] 

To  this  union  St.  Paul  had  attained,  for  he 
says:  "And  I  live,  now  not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me"  (Gal.  2:20).  Let  us  ask  how 
we,  too,  may  be  made  one  with  God.  Not 
otherwise  than  by  losing  ourselves  and  for- 
getting ourselves,  and  then  by  being  made 
over  again  in  God  by  God's  Spirit.  For  as 
long  as  a  man  is  self-conscious,  even  tho 
he  have  God  and  is  even  conscious  of  him, 
just  so  long  is  he  not  one,  but  two — he  has 
not  become  one  with  God ;  this  is  multiplicity 
and  not  perfect  unity.  In  unity  a  man  loses 
multiplicity.  True  unity  is  the  state  in  which 
a  man  finds  himself  solely  in  one,  the  one 
that  is  called  and  is  God.  In  this  state  a  man 
has,  as  it  were,  lost  his  selfhood  in  God;  so 
that  he  has  no  joy  in  self,  no  thought  of  self, 
no  outward  life  of  self.  Nor  does  it  seem 
to  him  that  it  is  his  own  self  that  knows  and 
loves  either  God  or  creatures — all  seems  done 
by  God.  Self  is  absorbed  as  it  were  in  God. 

All   creatures   seek    after   this  unity;    all 

By  kind  permission  of  the  Apostolic  Mission  House, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  and  Very  Rev.  Walter  Elliot,  of  the 
Paulist  Fathers. 

99 


SDebotional  Classics 

multiplicity  struggles  toward  it — the  uni- 
versal aim  of  all  life  is  always  this  unity. 
Every  creature  comes  forth  from  this  unity 
by  an  immediate  creative  act,  and  each  one 
tends  again  to  be  absorbed  in  its  entire  exis- 
tence into  indivisible  unity,  according  to  each 
one's  capability.  All  activity  of  mind  and 
body,  and  all  love,  as  well  as  all  unrest,  has 
an  end  and  purpose ;  it  ail  tends  toward  entire 
rest;  and  this  rest  is  to  be  found  nowhere 
but  in  the  one,  indivisible  unity  that  is  God. 
All  that  flows  outward  is  to  flow  backward 
into  its  source — God.  And  when  this  has 
happened,  and  not  before,  do  we  find  rest  and 
tranquility.  When  all  that  goes  to  make  up 
a  man's  being  has  become  lovingly  one  with 
God,  then  all  the  soul's  cries  are  hushed,  and 
the  unrest  of  longing  and  of  acting  has 
ceased.  Nature  itself  universally  craves  this 
unity,  and  consumes  everything,  even  its  own 
life,  in  its  strivings  to  attain  to  it;  but  to 
true  unity  can  nature  never  come  except  in 
God,  the  only  being  wholly  one.  And  0  how 
anxious,  how  uncertain,  is  the  soul  of  man 
whilst  deprived  of  this  union!  How  can  he 
abide  out  of  it  a  single  instant !  How  can  he 
find  in  himself  aught  worth  knowing  or  lov- 
ing as  long  as  he  is  out  of  God 
What  is  the  best  way  to  enter  into  God  and 
to  be  made  one  with  him?  Certainly  there 

100 


Jofjann  'Cauler 

is  but  one  way :  To  die  to  self ;  totally  to  give 
up  all  self-seeking,  all  multiplicity.  If  thou 
wilt  be  made  white,  thou  must  wash  off  the 
black;  the  less  black,  the  more  white.  The 
less  thou  art  multiplied,  the  more  shalt  thou 
be  single-minded  and  single-hearted^  God 
does  not  work  in  thee  rightly  and  by  himself 
alone,  as  long  as  thou  art  multiplied;  his  liv- 
ing work  in  thee  must  be  one.  The  more  the 
soul's  powers  are  detached  from  outward 
things  and  gathered  into  one  in  the  interior 
life,  all  the  stronger  grows  God's  action  in- 
wardly, and  all  the  diviner  and  more  perfect. 
This  state  no  man  can  achieve  except  by  dying 
to  himself.  The  sooner  and  the  more  truly  and 
the  more  perfectly  he  dies  to  himself,  the  soon- 
er, the  more  truly  and  the  more  perfectly 
will  he  find  his  life  made  one  with  God's. 
Therefore,  Christ  died  a  physical  death  that 
he  might  show  us  the  way  to  die  a  spiritual 
death.  That  he  might  rise  from  the  dead 
into  immortality,  he  must  die  to  mortality. 
If  we  would  reach  a  condition  of  unity,  we 
must  die  to  multiplicity;  we  must  die  to  all 
mortality,  to  all  self-ownership,  to  all  divisi- 
bility. Unity  has  no  division ;  division  is  lost 
and  so  is  multiplicity — all  made  one  in  unity. 
Of  Christ  we  read  that,  "Rising  again  from 
the  dead,  he  dieth  now  no  more ;  death  shall 
no  more  have  dominion  over  him"  (Rom.  6: 

101 


SDrfwtional 

9).  Out  of  death  comes  life  that  dies  no 
more.  There  is  no  true  and  undying  life  in 
us  except  the  life  that  comes  forth  from  death. 
If  water  is  to  become  hot,  then  cold  must  die 
out  of  it.  If  wood  is  to  be  made  fire,  then  the 
nature  of  wood  must  die.  The  life  we  seek 
can  not  be  in  us,  it  can  not  become  our  very 
selves,  we  can  not  be  itself,  unless  we  gain  it 
by  first  ceasing  to  be  what  we  are ;  we  acquire 
this  life  through  death. 

In  very  truth  there  is,  rightly  speaking,  but 
one  death  and  one  life.  .  However  many 
deaths  there  may  seem  to  be,  they  all  are  but 
one,  namely,  the  death  a  man  dies  to  his  own 
will,  to  his  sense  of  proprietorship,  to  divi- 
sion and  multiplicity  and  activity — in  so  far 
as  this  is  possible  to  a  creature.  And  there  is 
one  life,  and  only  one,  namely,  the  one  in- 
effable, incomprehensible,  uncreated,  essen- 
tial, divine  life.  Toward  this  life  all  other 
life  hurries  on,  is  driven  forward,  streams 
along,  being  irresistibly  drawn  to  possess  it. 
The  nearer  our  life  comes  to  this  essential  life, 
and  the  more  it  is  likened  to  it,  the  more 
truly  do  we  live,  for  in  this  and  from  this  life 
is  all  life,  and  not  otherwise.  Any  life  that 
lives  apart  from  this,  to  it  may  be  said  these 
words:  "Thou  hast  the  name  of  being  alive, 
and  thou  art  dead"  (Rev.  3:1). 

"Whosoever  will  have  this  divine  life  living 

102 


Joljann  'Cattlrr 

within  him,  made  most  essentially  and  most 
truly  his  own,  such  a  one  must  most  essentially 
and  most  truly  die  to  himself.  Whosoever  fails 
to  die  will  fail  to  live.  And  whosoever  total- 
ly dies  to  self,  such  a  one  is  wholly  made  alive 
in  God  and  without  any  separation.  And  this 
death  has  many  degrees,  just  as  life  has.  A 
man,  for  example,  may  die  a  thousand  deaths 
in  a  single  day,  and  each  is  instantly  fol- 
lowed by  a  joyous  life  in  God — death  is  no 
longer  death.  This  happens  perforce,  because 
God  can  not  refuse  the  offering  of  death  nor 
resist  its  plea  for  life.  And  the  stronger 
death  is  and  the  more  complete,  so  is  the  life 
that  responds  to  it  all  the  stronger  and  more 
integral;  just  as  death  is,  so  shall  life  be. 
And  as  life  succeeds  to  death,  so  does  life  pre- 
pare a  man  to  die  a  more  perfect  death  to 
himself. 

And  it  is  thus  that  a  man  dies  to  himself: 
if  he  meekly  accepts  an  insult  for  God's  sake, 
if  he  curbs  his  inclination  for  inner  or  out- 
ward joy  for  the  same  divine  motive;  if  in 
any  way  whatsoever,  in  pleasure  or  in  pain, 
he  bridles  his  wayward  will  for  God's  sake 
in  words  or  deeds,  in  labor  or  rest,  in  seeing 
or  tasting;  if  he  bears  unjust  reproof  in 
silence  and  in  all  patience;  if  in  any  of  his 
unmodified  tendencies  he  dies  to  self,  he  be- 
gins to  live  to  God.  At  first  he  yields  to  this 

103 


holy  death  of  selfhood  reluctantly  and  with 
much  pain ;  later  on  he  grows  used  to  it,  and 
to  die  to  self  and  to  live  to  God  grows  into 
a  holy  habit.  No  matter  how  small  the  death 
an  earnest  man  dies  to  himself,  it  wins  him  a 
great  life,  and  this  great  life  heartens  him 
to  die  another  and  a  yet  greater  death.  And 
soon  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  most  joyous 
thing  in  life  is  to  die  to  oneself,  far  more 
joyous  than  any  life  that  is  lived  for  self's 
sake.  For  life  is  now  found  only  in  death, 
and  light  shineth  only  in  darkness.  In  out- 
ward things  a  man  may  so  constantly  die  to 
self  that  in  course  of  time  there  is  nothing 
left  in  him  of  any  inclination  to  them  that 
are  not  dead.  Then,  indeed,  he  hath  fought 
a  good  fight ;  and  yet  in  his  interior  life  there 
is  much  that  must  die. 

"When  one  is  truly  mortified  or  dead  to  his 
selfhood,  then  all  things  are  his  and  he  can 
use  them  moderately  without  danger.  In- 
deed, no  man  has  real  and  reasonable  joy  in 
created  things,  until  he  has  first  gone  forth 
out  of  all  joy  in  them  for  the  love  of  God— 
until  he  has  died  to  them  and  they  have  died 
to  him.  Only  after  that  canst  thou  turn 
again  to  their  use,  without  feeling  anxiety  lest 
thou  misuse  them.  No  man  truly  loves  his 
father  and  mother,  his  sisters  and  brothers 
and  all  his  other  friends,  with  the  love  that 

104 


is  in  God,  until  he  has  first  given  them  up  and 
wholly  died  to  them  out  of  love  for  God ;  un- 
til that  happens  they  are  rather  enemies  to 
his  spiritual  welfare  than  friends.  There- 
fore, our  Lord  teaches:  "For  I  came  to  set  a 
man  at  variance  against  his  father,  and  the 
daughter  against  her  mother,  and  the  daugh- 
ter-in-law against  her  mother-in-law.  And 
a  man's  enemies  shall  be  they  of  his  own 
household"  (Matt.  10:35,  36). 

But  it  is  only  a  lesser  death  when  one  has 
died  to  outward  things ;  for  when  a  man  has 
sincerely  renounced  the  world  and  all  its 
superfluities,  and  entered  upon  an  interior 
and  divine  life,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  be 
quite  dead  to  external  enjoyments.  To  him 
the  death  he  has  yet  to  die  is  hidden.  What 
bitterness  can  he  suffer  who  is  full  of  the 
sweetness  of  a  devout  life?  What  battle  can 
he  have  to  fight  who  has  escaped  from  the 
clutches  of  his  enemy,  and  is  journeying  safe- 
ly along  the  way  of  peace  ?  If  a  man  be  truly 
converted  to  lead  a  perfect  life  inwardly,  no 
matter  what  outward  things  cross  his  path, 
they  do  not  touch  his  interior  life.  Mary  was 
turned  to  Christ  in  all  her  inner  faculties, 
and  hence  she  sat  at  his  feet  unconcerned 
about  the  many  things  that  troubled  Martha, 
who  complained  about  her.  Mary  thought 
not  at  all  of  justifying  herself — quite  other 

105 


things  absorbed  her  thoughts  and  her  feelings 
and  her  love.  So  does  it  happen  with  any 
soul  that  is  turned  inward  to  God  and  away 
from  all  transitory  things — turned  to  God, 
revealed  within  him,  and  by  no  intermediary, 
but  directly.  "Whether  such  a  soul  wills  it  or 
not,  it  must  forget  everything  but  God.  All 
images  of  things  created  are  gone;  such  a 
man  has  within  him  that  which  is  the  original 
of  all  things.  He  is  liberated  from  creatures ; 
he  has  no  room  in  his  soul  for  figures  and 
types,  and  strange  happenings  and  contra- 
dictions make  no  impression  on  him. 

Such  men  as  these  St.  Paul  may  have  had 
in  view  when  he  said  ' '  For  you  are  dead,  and 
your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God"  (Col.  3: 
3).  But  now  it  is  to  be  remarked,  that  they 
may  progress  to  a  yet  closer  union;  for  they 
are  hid  with  Christ,  and  are  therefore  two  and 
not  one  with  him.  On  the  other  hand,  our 
Lord  prayed  to  his  Father  that  "they  may 
be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  in  me,  and  I  in  thee. ' ' 
As  if  it  were  not  in  what  made  Father  and 
Son  different  persons,  but  rather  in  what 
made  them  one  essence,  one  life,  one  divine 
operation — as  if  he  prayed  that  this  union 
might  be  granted  us  and  perfected  in  us,  as 
far  as  we  are  capable  of  it.  Is  it  not  true  to 
say  that  to  bring  about  this  unity  with  God's 
being,  his  life  and  operation,  a  thousand  times 

106 


loljann 

more  perfect  death  to  self  and  to  creatures 
must  be  experienced?  If  God  is  to  go  into 
the  soul,  nature  must  go  out  totally,  even  to 
the  last  atom;  fire  and  water  can  not  dwell 
together  in  one.  He  whose  life  is  to  be  made 
God's  life,  must  quickly  and  entirely  die  to 
any  other  life.  If  a  man  be  already  averse 
to  the  things  of  this  earthly  existence,  then 
he  more  easily  dies  to  himself;  but  whether 
or  not  this  be  so,  the  man  who  will  have  God 
to  live  within  him  and  he  his  only  support 
and  only  comfort,  must  be  dead  to  all  transi- 
tory things  and  they  dead  to  him,  absolutely 
stript  of  their  support  and  void  of  their 
comfort.  Life  has  its  hiding-place  in  death; 
consolation  has  its  hiding-place  in  desolation. 
When  the  outward  man  is  hushed  still,  then 
the  inward  man  begins  to  live;  then  does  he 
begin  truly  to  speak  his  happy  words,  accord- 
ing to  the  prophet:  "My  soul  refused  to  be 
comforted;  I  remembered  God  and  was  de- 
lighted and  was  exercised,  and  my  spirit 
swooned  away"  (Ps.  76:3,  4).  The  outward 
craves  the  outward  life  in  everything.  It  is 
true  that  the  outward  life  longs  for  God's  help 
in  some  exterior  form,  as  the  psalmist  says: 
"It  is  good  for  me  to  adhere  (that  is  to  say, 
exteriorly)  to  my  God"  (Ps.  67:28).  But 
even  this  comfort  has  a  savor  of  self-seeking, 
and  it,  too,  must  die  out  of  the  soul. 

107 


£>rborional  Classics 

The  death  of  self  and  the  union  with  God 
that  we  have  been  considering  affects  all  the 
powers  of  the  soul,  even  the  most  interior 
ones.  The  will  must  efface  its  symbols  and 
images  and  rest  motionless;  the  understand- 
ing, including  knowledge  and  memory,  and, 
indeed,  all  mental  powers,  must  set  aside,  as 
far  as  possible,  the  objects  of  their  activity. 
Listen  to  our  Lord 's  words :  ' '  He  that  findeth 
his  life,  shall  lose  it;  and  he  that  shall  lose 
his  life  for  me,  shall  find  it"  (Matt.  10:  39). 
It  is  a  hard  death  to  the  soul,  when  all  natural 
lights  in  it  and  all  its  faculties  go  out  in  dark- 
ness; and  yet  a  harder  death  when  even  the 
bright  rays  of  light  shed  by  God's  own  gifts, 
must  be  quenched  in  darkness;  for  these  are 
not  God,  and  God  alone  must  finally  content 
the  soul.  All  these  are,  as  it  were,  but  a  part 
of  God  and  not  God  one  and  indivisible. 

But  in  truth  it  is  only  when  all  that  lives 
within  a  man,  and  all  that  gives  him  light, 
has  died  out  and  gone  from  him — it  is  then, 
and  only  then,  that  he  finds  his  real  soul— 
never  otherwise.  Does  he  not  find  it?  Can 
you  say  that  in  such  a  state  he  rather  has  ut- 
terly lost  it  ?  No,  by  no  means ;  for  freedom 
of  the  will  yet  remains,  and  responsibility  for 
choosing  to  act  or  not  to  act.  Does  he  not 
now  stand  in  control  of  his  spiritual  powers 
to  will  and  to  act,  and  how  to  choose?  See 

108 


how  our  Savior  and  our  Model  acted  in  his 
agony:  "Father,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou 
wilt  '  '  (Matt.  26  :  39  )  .  As  if  to  say  :  I  have  no 
will;  but  thou,  Father,  shalt  have  my  will, 
for  I  am  stript  of  my  will  and  dead  to  it, 
and  now  in  thy  will  I  am  absorbed  and  re- 
stored to  life. 

Union  with  God  is  not  action,  in  the  human 
meaning  of  the  term,  nor  knowing,  nor  loving 
with  diversity  ;  for  in  God  all  is-  one  and  all 
is  rest  and  peace.  Knowing  and  loving, 
bringing  forth  and  being  brought  forth,  and 
all  manner  of  simply  human  activity,  is  the 
product  of  diversity.  In  God,  in  this  One,  is 
all  action  ended  and  unified,  and  we  are 
made  one  in  God  through  Christ.  AMEN. 


Ifttmttitp, 
anto 


[Be  ye  humbled  therefore  under  the  mighty  hand  of 
God,  that  he  may  exalt  you  in  the  time  of  visitation.  Cast- 
ing all  your  care  upon  him,  for  he  hath  a  care  of  you.  Be 
sober  and  watch  ;  because  your  adversary,  the  devil,  as  a 
roaring  lion,  goeth  about  seeking  whom  he  may  devour. 
Whom  resist  ye,  strong  in  faith  :  knowing  that  the  same 
affliction  befalls  your  brethren  who  are  in  the  world.  But 
the  God  of  all  grace,  who  has  called  us  into  his  eternal 
glory  in  Christ  Jesus,  after  you  have  suffered  a  little,  will 
himself  perfect  you,  and  confirm  you,  and  establish  you. 
To  him  be  glory  and  empire  for  ever  and  ever.  AMEN. 
—1  Pet.  5  :  6-ll.J 

Dear  children,  this  is  the  teaching  of  St. 
Peter's  very  instructive  epistle,  giving  us  a 

109 


Devotional 

perfect  doctrine,  by  means  of  which  we  can 
complete  all  that  holy  Church  has  done  for 
us  the  entire  year  past,  with  which,  if  we 
take  it  seriously,  we  shall  find  it  to  coincide 
perfectly. 

"Be  humbled,"  he  says,  "under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God,"  in  which  we  see  the  essence, 
life,  and  work  that  a  man  must  have  in  all 
his  devout  practises.  It  consists  in  three 
things,  all  most  essential;  so  that  if  any  one 
of  them  be  lacking,  the  essence,  life,  and  work 
of  our  piety  comes  to  naught.  The  first  is 
that  we  must  be  humble.  Humility  is  the 
solid  foundation  on  which  the  whole  structure 
is  to  be  built,  if  it  is  going  to  be  worth  any- 
thing in  the  sight  of  God.  "Whatever  a  man 
builds  without  this  foundation  falls  down. 
The  second  thing  is  true  and  divine  love  for 
God  and  our  neighbor.  The  third  is  genuine 
detachment  from  all  things.  With  these  three 
things  a  man  reaches  the  perfection  of  a  true 
and  godlike  life. 

Dear  children,  God  has  by  his  grace  im- 
planted in  us  the  beautiful  virtue  of  humility, 
knowing  how  greatly  we  stand  in  need  of  it. 
In  this  he  does  us  a  great  favor,  for  he  there- 
by places  in  our  souls  a  divine  spark  much 
closer  to  our  nature  than  we  may  imagine. 
If  humility  seems  an  alien  thing  to  us,  that 
is  to  be  blamed  on  pride.  If  human  nature 

110 


ioijann  'Cattlrt 

be  rightly  ordered,  we  find  matter  for  humil- 
ity within  us  without  fail.  We  can  not  expel 
it  from  its  place  there,  for  as  we  look  into 
ourselves  we  find  two  great  causes  for  it.  One 
is  our  natural  frailty.  Every  man  can  see 
how  miserably  needy  he  is,  how  many  things 
he  lacks,  and  how  all  that  he  gets  fails  to  satis- 
fy him.  Nothing  is  better  known  than  the  in- 
born deficiencies  of  the  natural  man,  and  that 
just  as  every  man  comes  from  nothing,  so  all 
ends  in  nothingness — all  of  which  furnishes 
material  for  humility.  The  other  reason  for 
humility  is  our  sinful  frailty,  something  per- 
fec^y  plain  to  anyone  who  searches  his  inte- 
rior. He  finds,  in  himself  a  bottomless  depth 
of  natural  depravity.  Unless  God  guarded 
him  constantly  by  his  merciful  graces,  how 
unspeakably  ready  would  he  not  be  to  commit 
sin,  even  to  fall  into  mortal  sin,  and  to  be  con- 
demned therefor  to  suffer  eternally  in  hell 
among  all  the  devils.  Tell  me,  dear  children, 
is  not  this  a  great  cause  for  true  humility? 
Thus  our  own  nature  inclines  us  to  the  prac- 
tise of  this  holy  virtue.  Looking  inward, 
looking  outward,  we  find  there  is  nothing  good 
in  us,  nor  of  ourselves  can  we  do  any  good. 

The  second  virtue  is  true  love  of  God,  and 
this  has  God  rooted  in  our  nature;  for  by  a 
law  of  our  nature  every  man  must  love.  Even 
humility  is  not  an  interior  growth,  but  comes 

111 


Drbotiomil  Classics 

from  without,  whereas  love  is  inborn,  as  the 
venerable  Bede  teaches:  "As  it  is  impossible 
to  live  without  a  soul,  so  it  is  impossible 
to  live  without  love."  If  a  man,  therefore, 
is  naturally  rightly  ordered,  he  must  love 
God  more  than  himself  or  all  creatures.  It  is 
a  pitiful  thing  that  man  should  pervert  so 
noble  a  trait,  turning  deliberately  away  from 
God,  his  Creator  and  the  Creator  of  all  things, 
and  inclining  toward  creatures. 

The  third  virtue  is  prudence  or  discretion, 
which  belongs  to  reason  itself.  Mark  well, 
children,  that  every  act  of  man  that  is  not 
guided  by  discretion  comes  to  naught,  and 
is  not  pleasing  to  God.  Therefore  does  St. 
Peter  say  in  this  epistle:  "Be  sober  and 
watch."  This  means  that  discretion  should 
soberly  guide  our  whole  life,  our  words  and 
works,  eating  and  sleeping  and  watching — let 
discretion  direct  all  men  in  all  states  of  life 
in  all  their  conduct. 

Dear  children,  let  us  return  to  the  first 
virtue,  humility:  "Be  ye  humbled,  therefore, 
under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  he  may 
exalt  you  in  the  time  of  visitation. ' '  Ah,  dear 
children,  when  the  time  of  visitation  comes 
and  God  does  not  find  us  humble,  it  will  be 
an  evil  thing  for  us  without  doubt ;  for  ' '  God 
resisteth  the  proud,  and  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble"  (James  4:6).  Therefore,  the  great- 

112 


3|0i)ann 

er  our  humility,  the  greater  the  grace  of  God. 
If  he  finds  us  proud,  he  will  crush  us  down; 
if  he  finds  us  lowly  minded,  he  will  undoubt- 
edly raise  us  up.  The  mighty  hand  of  God 
is  wise  and  good,  aye,  it  is  kindly  and  loving : 
' '  Casting  all  your  care  upon  God,  for  he  car- 
eth  for  you."  If  this  loving  watch  of  God 
over  us  were  his  only  favor,  his  daily  care  for 
all  our  spiritual  and  bodily  needs  the  only  gift 
he  were  to  give  us ;  if  his  loving  intervention 
against  our  heartache  and  all  misery  were 
his  single  benefit  to  us,  it  alone  ought  to  be 
enough  in  our  eyes  to  inspire  a  return  of  love. 
It  should  cause  us  ceaselessly  to  adore  his 
providence,  to  direct  all  our  longings  toward 
him  alone,  and  to  enkindle  in  our  hearts  a 
deep  love  of  his  holy  will  in  ordering  our 
life. 

Again,  dear  children,  does  St.  Peter  speak : 
' '  Be  sober  and  watch,  because  your  adversary, 
the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion,  goeth  about  seek- 
ing whom  he  may  devour.  Whom  resist  ye, 
strong  in  faith."  Now  when  the  lion  roars, 
all  the  beasts  of  the  forest  fall  to  the  ground 
with  terror,  and  he  comes  and  tears  them  to 
pieces.  And  in  like  manner,  when  the  evil 
spirit  comes  roaring  upon  poor,  weak  men, 
they  instantly  fall  down  helpless,  and  he 
comes  and  tears  them  to  pieces.  But  St.  Peter 
bids  us  be  bold  and  vigilant,  and  bravely  to 

in— 8  113 


Drbotional  Classics 

withstand  the  assaults  of  the  demon  with  the 
weapons  of  holy  faith.  One  should  act  like 
the  garrison  of  a  beleaguered  city  which  knows 
that  the  enemy's  army  is  superior  in  number. 
On  whatever  side  the  ramparts  are  weakest, 
there  is  concentrated  the  strongest  defense 
— or  the  city  and  its  defenders  and  treasures 
are  lost.  So  must  each  one  of  us  carefully 
mark  the  weakest  side  of  his  character,  for 
there  without  doubt  the  evil  one  will  deliver 
his  fiercest  attack — that  is  to  say,  where  he 
finds  the  greatest  tendency  to  vice. 

Sometimes  the  devil's  readiest  temptation 
is  to  despondency.  He  shows  a  man  his  na- 
tive frailty  and  his  sinfulness,  and  tries  to 
make  him  heavy-hearted  on  that  account.  And 
then  he,  as  it  were,  roars  in  his  ear :  Art  thou 
so  foolish  as  to  spend  thy  life  in  anguish  and 
in  penance?  No!  No!  Live  in  joy.  Enjoy 
thy  carnal  pleasures.  Almighty  God  will 
give  thee  time  for  penance  at  the  end  of  life. 
Have  thy  own  will,  enjoy  creatures  whilst  thou 
art  young  and  strong;  when  old  age  comes, 
then  shalt  thou  become  pious  and  serve  God. 
Ah,  dear  children,  what  treacherous  counsel 
is  this.  Be  on  your  guard.  Diligently  watch 
while  it  is  day,  for  soon  eternal  darkness  will 
enshroud  you.  Eegulate  your  life  by  no  such 
false  confidence,  but  rather  by  a  wise  under- 
standing of  what  is  a  really  God-guided  life. 

114 


And  let  there  be  no  turning  back.  See  to  it 
that  God  alone  shall  rule  you.  For  it  is  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself  who  says :  * '  Every 
plant  which  my  heavenly  Father  hath  not 
planted,  shall  be  rooted  up"  (Matt.  15:13). 
Look  into  this  matter,  dear  children,  very 
carefully,  for  the  evil  one  lays  many  a  snare 
for  you.  One  will  say  in  time  of  temptation : 

0  God,  would  that  I  had  a  father  confessor 
in  this  my  great  distress;  I  wish  I  knew  how 

1  now  stand  with  our  dear  Lord.     Now,  chil- 
dren, I  know  about  this  case,  and  I  say  to 
you,  do  not  annoy  your  father  confessor.  Keep 
up  good  courage.    Evil  thoughts  have  come? 
Then  let  them  come  and  let  them  go.   Be  at 
peace ;  think  no  more  about  it,  but  turn  thy 
heart  straight  to  God.    Make  no  parley  with 
thy  temptation,  but  just  let  it  alone.    By  de- 
bating about  it  in  thy  mind  thou  shalt  suffer 
more   misery   than   the   demon   himself   has 
caused  thee.    All  this  trouble  comes  from  ex- 
cessive despondency,  which  may  end  by  his 
suggesting  despair,  and  saying:  Everything 
thou  dost  is  vain  and  useless — thou  art  lost 
forever. 

The  thing  to  do  in  such  a  case  is  to  cast 
"all  care  upon  God"  and  rest  in  him.  Turn 
to  the  eternal  God  with  unshaken  trust  in  his 
goodness  and  mercy.  Do  as  mariners  do  when 
threatened  with  shipwreck — cast  thy  anchor 

115 


deep  down  to  the  bottom  of  God's  love  and 
grape.  Place  thy  confidence  firmly  in  God 
our  Lord.  If  it  comes  even  to  the  end  of  life, 
and  a  man  in  deep  distress  shall  but  anchor 
all  his  hopes  in  God  and  die  in  that  mind,  it 
is  truly  a  happy  and  a  holy  death. 

Children,  be  well  assured  that  a  really  godly 
man  must  dwell  in  the  practise  of  divine  hope 
just  as  much  as  in  any  other  of  the  divine 
virtues ;  and  that  is  a  great  help  to  him  when 
at  last  he  comes  to  meet  death.  But  this  must 
not  be  a  false  and  deceitful  confidence  in  God, 
trusting  in  which  a  man  presumes  to  lead  a 
sinful  life;  for  whosoever  trusts  in  God  and 
on  the  strength  of  that  lives  wickedly,  sins 
against  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  confidence  in 
God  that  I  mean  springs  from  the  depths  of 
true  humility  and  love.  It  is  based  on  con- 
sciousness of  one's  helplessness;  it  is  a  most 
reasonable  recognition  of  the  need  of  God's 
help ;  it  is  a  part  of  a  true  and  full  and  joy- 
ful conversion  to  God;  for  whosoever  gives 
himself  up  to  God  loves  and  trusts  God  sin- 
cerely. Shalt  thou  not  trust  him  who  has  al- 
ready done  thee  so  many  favors?  Before 
thou  wast  created  God  foresaw  thy  weakness ; 
knew  that  thou  wouldst  sin,  foresaw  in  his 
divine  wisdom  how  it  .was  that  he  would  re- 
deem all  mankind  from  sin,  namely,  by  the 
bitter  death  of  our  beloved,  innocent  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

116 


Therefore,  dear  children,  turn  away  from 
sin  with  all  earnestness.  I  say  to  you  that 
any  man  under  temptation,  who  does  not 
courageously  resist,  but  stands  halting  and 
hesitating,  not  turning  from  sin  with  his 
whole  heart  for  the  sake  of  God,  such  a  man 
the  evil  one  pursues  with  the  object  of  drag- 
ging him  down  into  everlasting  damnation. 
Dost  thou  really  wish  to  overcome  the  demon  ? 
Then  do  thy  part  manfully,  fly  from  sin,  and 
say  in  thy  inmost  soul :  0  Eternal  God,  come 
to  my  help  with  thy  divine  grace,  for  I  am 
firmly  resolved  never  to  commit  mortal  sin. 
Thus  by  thy  good  will  and  by  thy  resolute 
purpose  thou  shalt  overcome  the  evil  spirit 
and  put  him  shamefully  to  flight. 

Children,  you  should  know  what  a  disgrace- 
ful thing  it  is  for  a  man  endowed  with  reason 
to  allow  himself  to  be  vanquished  by  the  devil, 
to  be  led  into  grievous  sin  and  to  forfeit  the 
grace  of  God.  A  man  gifted  with  reason  who 
gives  up  to  the  evil  one  is  like  a  well-armed 
soldier  who  runs  away  from  a  fly.  Think  of 
the  powerful  weapons  with  which  we  can  with- 
stand the  devil — our  holy  faith,  the  blessed 
sacrament,  God's  holy  word,  the  glorious  ex- 
ample of  the  saints  and  of  all  good  men,  the 
prayers  of  holy  church,  and  more  besides — 
all  strong  weapons  against  the  demon.  He 
has  no  greater  force  against  these  arms  than  a 
fly  has  against  a  big  bear.  Let  but  a  man 


bravely  resist,  and  lie  never  can  be  overcome. 
Therefore  turn  away  from  thy  sins  and  cheer- 
fully and  manfully  fight  thy  battle.  See  to 
it  carefully  that  thou  goest  not  into  the  next 
world  without  having  fought  and  conquered 
the  devil,  nor  without  having  sincerely  re- 
pented of  thy  sins ;  for  then  thou  shalt  be  the 
scoff  of  all  those  evil  spirits,  who  will  eter- 
nally torment  thee.  It  will  be  a  deeper  pain  to 
thee  then  that  thou  hast  followed  the  devil 
than  any  other  misery  connected  with  thy 
sons.  Furthermore,  a  man  must  examine  his 
inmost  soul,  lest  there  should  be  aught  there 
but  just  simply  God  and  his  eternal  glory.  For, 
alas,  there  are  many  men  in  all  states  of  life 
who  make  a  show  of  a  good  life,  as  if  fancying 
that  they  can  deceive  the  eternal  God.  No, 
not  so;  but  in  reality  thou  deceivest  thyself, 
and  thou  losest  the  precious  time  of  grace. 
Thou  art  so  guilty  before  God  that  he  permits 
the  evil  spirits  to  have  power  over  thee,  so 
that  they  will  not  let  thee  do  any  good  work. 
Take  heed,  dear  children,  whilst  it  is  day, 
lest  the  time  of  darkness  overtake  you,  and  the 
grace  of  God  be  withdrawn  from  you.  Search 
deep  into  your  hearts;  have  God  there  and 
only  God,  making  him  your  only  aim  in  life, 
whether  consciously  or  unconsciously. 

Such  is  not  the  way  of  men  who  follow  not 
after  God.    Creatures  are  their  object  in  life. 

118 


3  of)  a  nit  Tattler 

And  if  they  find  sorrow  for  sin  beginning 
to  stir  their  hearts,  they  run  away  from  it, 
they  go  into  another  country  or  city,  they 
start  new  ways  of  wickedness,  and  thus  they 
leap  into  everlasting  death.  Or  acting  other- 
wise, such  a  one  is  caught  in  a  panic  and 
adopts  a  life  of  poverty,  or  enters  a  monas- 
tery. Others,  again,  obtain  a  securer  refuge 
by  entering  an  approved  order,  even  one 
strictly  enclosed. 

Now  it  may  happen  that  some  have  entered 
an  order  from  motives  not  divine ;  but  finding 
themselves  there  they  say:  Dear  Lord,  I 
thank  thee  eternally  that  I  am  here,  and  I 
will  ever  remain  here,  to  love  thee  and  serve 
thee.  Blessed  are  all  those  who  persevere  in 
this  holy  state  till  death,  for  without  doubt 
they  will  be  saved.  The  least  little  work  there 
done  in  holy  obedience  is  nobler  in  God's  eyes 
and  more  worthy  of  reward  than  many  great 
works  performed  by  one's  own  will.  I  declare 
to  you  in  all  truth  that  no  lovelier  offering 
can  be  made  to  the  Almighty  God  than  a 
truly  humble  and  obedient  heart.  In  a  single 
instant  a  man  can,  by  means  of  obedience  and 
giving  up  of  his  own  will  to  God,  be  made  so 
humble  that  he  will  be  led  directly  to  God — 
more  directly  than  if  he  spent  ten  years  in 
practising  high  devotions.  Take  an  example : 
suppose  a  man  so  full  of  God's  grace  that  God 

119 


Sfbotional  Glassies 

•constantly  dwelt  with  him,  and  was  as  person- 
ally present  as  he  will  be  in  heaven ;  and  sup- 
pose him  now  to  be  required  to  pay  a  real 
obedience  to  God  by  some  external  act  of 
charity.  Such  a  one  would  humbly  say  to 
God:  0  beloved  God,  let  me  go  out  of  thy 
presence  and  follow  thy  holy  will  in  obedi- 
ence; and  this  would  please  God  more  than 
to  see  that  man  enter  eternal  life  surrounded 
by  all  the  angels  of  heaven. 

Children,  this  example  is  straight  against 
all  the  religious  men  who  go  by  their  own  will, 
and  who  do  not  quickly  respond  to  God's  will 
manifested  to  them  in  obedience.  There  are 
such  men  in  communities ;  they  lay  out  their 
devotions  and  other  goods  works  for  them- 
selves. When  obedience  would  draw  them 
out  to  the  active  labors  of  their  order,  then 
is  shown  how  little  liberty  of  spirit  they  have 
— self -conceited  men,  with  a  God  to  rule  them 
who  is  a  divinity  of  their  own  appointment. 
A  man  truly  obedient  is  always  obedient, 
cheerfully  dropping  everything,  even  prayers 
and  meditations,  at  the  voice  of  lawful  author- 
ity. If  God  is  really  in  his  heart,  then  does 
he  offer  himself  in  all  meekness  to  the  dis- 
posal of  his  superiors.  It  is  this  that  leads 
him  to  union  with  God;  without  this  he  will 
lack  God 's  favor.  Obedience  is  that  very  noble 
virtue  which  is  more  pleasing  to  God  than 

120 


31o!)amt 

any  of  the  others,  even  when  we  obey  in  mat- 
ters which  are  in  themselves  of  little  moment. 
The  eternal  Son  of  God  was  for  our  sakes 
made  obedient  to  his  heavenly  Father,  in  his 
coming  down  from  the  Godhead  to  our  poor 
human  nature,  and  then  in  the  embracing  of 
his  holy  cross;  finally  in  his  cruel  and  bitter 
death.  Therefore  must  we  one  and  all  be 
obedient  men  in  all  divine  things  and  human 
things,  interiorly  and  exteriorly,  without 
murmuring  or  contradiction — if  God  shall  do 
his  work  of  love  unhindered  and  continuously 
within  our  souls. 

Yet  this  doctrine  is  directly  opposed  to  the 
practise  of  those  pious  men  who  obey  unwill- 
ingly. These  make  interpretations  and  ex- 
cuses in  order  to  avoid  this  beloved  virtue,  and 
they  cleave  to  their  own  customary  opinions. 
They  insist  on  having  their  own  way.  I  de- 
clare to  you  that  such  conduct  separates  you 
from  God,  from  his  graces,  from  the  sweet- 
ness of  his  love — all  this  you  will  lack  as  long 
as  you  persist  in  a  self-willed  course. 

Therefore,  child,  when  thou  beginnest  a 
good  work,  humbly  approach  the  fountain  of 
divine  grace,  and  crave  that  thou  mayest  be- 
gin and  end  it  wholly  to  the  praise  and  honor 
of  God,  sinking  deep  within  thy  soul  till  thou 
art  fully  conscious  of  thy  own  nothingness 
when  without  God's  grace.  In  the  quiet  of 

121 


SDibotional 

that  interior  life,  search  out  very  humbly 
what  is  God's  all  lovely  will — rest  upon  that 
without  further  running  about  for  motives. 
This  is  a  better  way  than  taking  the  whole 
world  into  thy  counsel  with  a  dissipated  spirit. 
Any  man  who  is  conscious  of  having  true 
humility  of  heart  and  real  love  of  God,  to- 
gether with  discretion,  in  such  a  man's  soul 
God 's  work  is  greater  than  words  can  describe. 
St.  Peter  teaches  us  that  we  suffer  the  same 
as  do  our  brethren  in  the  world.  And,  chil- 
dren, I  say  to  you  that  we  must  suffer, 
whether  we  turn  this  side  to  escape  or  that 
side — we  must  suffer.  "We  must  be  willing  to 
suffer  or  go  straight  against  God.  Now  there 
are  many  young  people  who  risk  life  and  limb 
in  the  service  of  the  world,  and  their  whole 
reward  is  to  pamper  their  wretched  bodies, 
food  for  worms  as  they  are,  and  commit  their 
souls  to  the  devil.  Such  are  the  only  wages 
the  world  pays  to  its  hirelings.  How  different 
with  you.  You  gladly  serve  God  and  suffer 
for  his  sake,  and  he  will  give  you  as  your 
wages  his  own  very  self,  together  with  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  and  everlasting  life.  O 
how  gladly  should  you,  his  chosen  friends, 
suffer  for  him,  since  for  your  sake  he  suffered 
shame,  poverty,  and  all  misery.  Since  the 
head  of  the  human  race,  God's  eternal  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  has  thus  suffered,  surely  we  his 

122 


3io|)ann 

members  ought  to  blush  for  shame  that  we 
are  not  always  glad  to  suffer.  Who  in  this 
world  has  ever  endured  the  blasphemy,  dis- 
grace, and  shame  that  befell  Jesus  Christ, 
God's  eternal  Son?  He,  indeed,  would  con- 
tinue thus  to  suffer  for  us  were  it  now  possible 
for  him  to  do  so.  Daily  and  often  in  the  day 
is  he  crucified  in  spirit  by  men's  curses;  con- 
stantly is  he  rejected  and  cast  out,  his  wounds 
opened  again  and  his  innocent  and  precious 
blood  poured  out  by  every  mortal  sin  that  is 
committed.  Think  of  the  sacrilege,  the  blas- 
phemy that  is  done  him  by  unworthy  com- 
munions, foul  sinners  taking  him  into  their 
filthy  souls,  all  full  of  deadly  sensuality. 
Could  such  a  wretch  feel  the  wickedness  of 
that  profanation  of  God,  his  horror  would  be 
worse  than  that  of  Judas.  For  these  men 
confess  the  Godhead  of  Jesut,  Christ,  acknowl- 
edging him  to  be  their  God  and  their  Creator, 
whereas  this  divinity  of  our  Savior  was  not 
known  to  Judas.  If  God's  true  friends  could 
feel  a  pain  equal  to  the  guilt  of  this  sacrilege, 
a  pain  of  a  bodily  kind  as  well  as  the  spiritual 
grief  of  a  loving  heart,  their  very  bones  would 
be  pierced  to  the  marrow,  and  their  souls 
would  be  wounded  to  their  very  depths.  If 
they  could  turn  away  from  God  this  foul  in- 
dignity by  offering  up  their  own  lives,  death 
would  be  to  them  far  more  joyous  than  life. 

123 


Scfcotional 

Such  then,  dear  children,  is  St.  Peter's 
teaching  of  the  right  and  the  sure  way :  humil- 
ity must  be  the  foundation  within  us  and 
without.  Upon  that,  again,  we  build  the 
house  of  the  love  of  God,  and  we  adorn  it 
with  the  virtue  of  discretion.  And  all  this 
God  brings  about  by  his  days  of  visitation. 
Hence  I  declare  to  you,  children,  that  those 
who  set  out  toward  perfection  by  ways  of  high 
reasoning — not  traveling  by  this  humble  road 
of  St.  Peter — every  one  of  them  will  fall  into 
the  pit  of  hell:  for  the  higher  the  mountain 
the  deeper  the  valley.  May  God  grant  that 
we  shall  be  found  resting  on  the  right  foun- 
dation. May  God  grant  us  to  go  forward  by 
the  threefold  virtues  of  humility,  love  of  God, 
and  discretion.  AMEN. 


Tljf  lUifcr  &to«p  of 

[For  God  is  my  witness,  how  I  long  after  you  all  in 
the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  this  I  pray,  that  your 
charity  may  more  and  more  abound  in  knowledge,  and  in 
all  understanding  :  that  you  may  approve  the  better  things, 
that  you  may  be  sincere  and  without  offense  unto  the  day 
of  Christ.  Filled  with  the  fruit  of  justice  through  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God. — Phil.  1 :  8-11.] 

Notice  with  what  earnestness  St.  Paul  calls 
God  to  witness  of  his  deep  love  for  his  dis- 
ciples. Had  we  a  return  of  such  love  to  the 
apostle  and  our  benefactors  generally,  it 

124 


would  greatly  stimulate  us  to  show  ourselves 
worthy  of  our  friends'  affection  for  us,  if  for 
no  higher  motive  than  to  satisfy  their  longing 
for  our  perfection.  And  when  St.  Paul  says: 
"I  pray  that  your  charity  may  more  and 
more  abound,"  he  means  that  it  should  great- 
ly increase  till  it  overflows  and  passes  beyond 
every  lower  motive,  and  becomes  love  in  all 
things  perfect. 

What  is  the  best  lesson  we  can  ever  learn? 
Is  it  not  how  to  possess  the  greatest  love  and 
the  best  1  God  demands  not  great  intelligence, 
nor  profound  penetration  of  mind,  nor  mag- 
nificent methods  of  spirituality,  for  all  good 
spiritual  practises  obtain  their  merit  from 
love.  But  what  God  requires  of  us  is  only 
love,  for,  St.  Paul  tells  us,  love  "is  the  bond 
of  perfection"  (Col.  3:14).  As  to  greatness 
of  intellect  and  force  of  character,  these  are 
common  to  us  and  pagans  and  Jews ;  splendid 
achievements  are  common  to  the  just  and  the 
unjust.  It  is  only  the  possession  of  love  that 
divides  the  false  hearts  from  the  true.  "God 
is  charity;  and  he  that  abideth  in  charity, 
abideth  in  God,  and  God  in  him"  (1  John  4: 
16).  Therefore  before  all  arts  have  the  art 
of  loving.  Inasmuch  as  God  hath  first  loved 
us  with  an  unspeakable  love,  so  shall  we  love 
him  in  return,  as  St.  Augustine  teaches.  And 
let  our  love  never  cease,  never  even  lessen, 

125 


SDtbotional 

but  always  grow  stronger^  By  love  a  man 
merits  love;  and  the  more  a  man  loves  the 
more  is  he  made  capable  of  loving. 

Now  the  working  of  love  is  both  inner  and 
outer.  The  outer  love  is  given  to  our  neigh- 
bor, and  the  inner  is  given  to  God  direct.  For 
this  latter  love  a  man  needs  knowledge,  as 
St.  Paul  says :  ' '  That  your  charity  may  more 
and  more  abound  in  knowledge,  and  in  all 
understanding."  We  must  not  be  content 
with  good  love ;  the  apostle  exhorts  us  to  win 
the  very  best — he  wishes  that  we  may  over- 
flow with  love.  Knowledge  is  one  of  the  gifts 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  goes  before  love  as 
a  handmaiden  before  her  mistress  to  do  her 
service.  Now  true  divine  love  thou  must  have 
interiorly,  and  it  shall  be  a  mark  to  thee  that 
thou  hast  it,  if  thou  hast  exteriorly  a  love  for 
thy  neighbor.  For  thou  lovest  God  not,  unless 
thou  findest  that  thy  heart  loves  thy  neighbor ; 
as  it  is  written:  "He  that  loveth  not  his 
brother,  whom  he  seeth,  how  can  he  love  God, 
whom  he  seeth  not?"  (1  John  4:  20). 

Upon  love  depends  all  of  God's  command- 
ments and  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
— that  thou  shalt  love  God,  and  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself.  Thou  shalt  have  com- 
mon joy  with  him  in  his  good  fortune,  com- 
mon sorrow  with  him  in  his  ill  fortune,  "one 
heart  and  one  soul"  (Acts  4:32)  with  him, 

126 


Jot)  ann  Can  Id- 
as was  the  case  among  the  whole  multitude 
of  the  faithful  in  the  time  of  the  apostles, 
when  all  things  were  in  common.  And  if  thou 
canst  not  exhibit  this  community  of  feeling 
outwardly  from  lack  of  means,  thou  must  yet 
cherish  it  in  thy  deepest  soul,  very  unfeign- 
edly,  not  half-heartedly,  very  intelligently — 
"in  all  understanding" — and  with  a  ready 
good  will  to  do  what  lies  within  thy  power. 
And  when  thou  canst  do  no  more  for  thy 
neighbor,  thou  canst  at  least  say  a  kindly 
or  a  gentle  word  to  him  out  of  a  full  heart. 

And  thy  love  must  extend  even  to  a  per- 
verse neighbor.  Thou  must  lovingly  and 
patiently  suffer  his  wickedness.  Do  not  fall 
upon  him  with  hard  words,  but  mercifully 
bear  his  defects.  Remember  that  often  enough 
men  are  not  bad  from  rooted  and  habitual 
malice,  but  from  unwariness,  or  from  dull- 
ness of  mind ;  or,  as  St.  Gregory  tells  us,  from 
God's  allowing  them  to  fall  into  sinfulness 
so  that  they  may  be  deeply  humiliated  and 
thereby  learn  their  own  guilty  weakness.  As 
to  those  who  are  not  habitual  but  only  oc- 
casional sinners,  these  thou  mayest  easily  and 
quickly  lead  to  consider  their  sad  state,  to 
acknowledge  their  wickedness,  and  to  do 
penance.  The  others  obstinately  cling  to  their 
vices,  and  even  justify  themselves.  But  all  of 
them  must  thou  bear  with  affectionately,  and 

127 


Srbotional  Classics 

thereby  prove  the  sincerity  of  thy  love.  If 
thou  quickly  sittest  in  judgment  on  thy  sin- 
ful neighbor,  that  is  a  true  sign  that  the  love 
of  God  has  withered  up  in  thy  soul :  and  some 
are  as  hasty  in  judging  others  as  a  man  in 
leaping  a  stone  wall.  Be  on  thy  guard  against 
rash  judgment;  if  things  look  bad,  cover  thy 
face  with  thy  mantle,  and  blind  thy  eyes  to 
the  faults  of  others.  Examine  thyself  very 
closely,  and  hold  court  over  thy  own  short- 
comings. Everything  is  going  wrong,  chil- 
dren, because  no  one  will  bear  patiently  with 
his  neighbor's  faults  for  love's  sake,  and  be- 
cause no  one  will  pity  his  neighbor's  weakness, 
little  considering  how  much  of  evil  in  men  is 
due  to  feebleness  of  character,  lack  of  good 
sense,  or  momentary  unguardedness. 

Thus  must  our  brotherly  love  "more  and 
more  abound,"  and  must  be  directed  to  all 
mankind  as  practically  as  lies  in  our  power. 
And  hereby  shall  we  discover  the  genuineness 
of  the  love  that  is  turned  inward  toward 
God,  the  source  and  origin  of  our  being.  The 
knowledge  and  understanding  in  love  men- 
tioned by  the  apostle  is  found  in  the  orderly 
relation  between  these  two  loves,  the  inward 
and  the  outward :  for  the  interior  love  is  preg- 
nant of  the  exterior  love,  which  is  continually 
being  born  of  it :  this  is  the  kinship  between 
the  two. 

128 


When  a  man  wishes  to  love  God,  he  looks 
inward,  and  then  he  finds  that  he  has  a  love- 
less and  a  graceless  heart  toward  God.  But 
he  knows  he  must  love  God  with  all  his  heart : 
therefore  he  rises  up  in  fierce  condemnation 
of  himself  and  he  loudly  laments  his  deprav- 
ity. He  in  spirit  sinks  himself  deep  into  hell, 
or  at  least  into  a  terrific  purgatory;  and 
every  conceivable  misfortune  seems  to  him  to 
be  due  to  him;  and  as  a  matter  of  fact,  God 
sometimes  sends  much  adversity  upon  him. 
Now  in  very  truth  this  is  all  just ;  a  man  must 
indeed  launch  this  condemnation  against  him- 
self. But  what  shall  we  do,  we  poor  little 
worms,  crawling  about  in  the  dust  of  the 
earth  ?  As  soon  as  we  feel  this  deep  humilia- 
tion, let  us  say  this:  0  merciful  God,  have 
pity  on  me ;  save  me  and  help  me ;  inflict  such 
and  such  judgments  on  me,  so  that  in  spite 
of  all  the  fires  of  purgatory  I  may  at  last  at- 
tain to  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Well  we 
know  that  without  some  purga,tory  few 
saints  have  entered  heaven,  and  yet  if  one 
should  pray  thus  to  be  favored,  I  do  not 
condemn  him  for  it.  But  I  say  that  he 
who  has  true  love  for  God  will,  while  he 
judges  himself  harshly  and  knows  full  well 
his  own  defects,  yet  lovingly  sink  down  into 
the  abyss  of  God's  being;  he  will  give  him- 
self up  entirely  to  God's  good  pleasure,  and 

in— 9  129 


this  act  he  will  accompany  with-  a  perfect 
abdication  of  all  will  of  his  own. 

Love  of  God,  when  it  is  true,  causes  total 
self-renunciation  and  the  giving  up  of  all  self- 
will.  Thus  prepared,  let  a  man  fall  at  God's 
feet  and  beg  him  to  sit  in  judgment  of  him  in 
love,  so  that  God's  holiness  may  be  given  him, 
and  God's  will  be  done  in  him  and  in  all 
creatures,  according  to  his  eternal  decrees, 
whether  it  may  condemn  him  to  purgatory  or 
not — how  soon,  how  long,  how  bitter:  Lord, 
let  all  be  ordered  according  to  thy  will;  be 
I  much  or  little  in  thy  sight,  near  to  thee  or 
far  away,  let  all  be  done  to  me  as  thou  wiliest. 
Thus  must  thou  be  glad  that  God's  holiness 
shall  be  vindicated  upon  thy  littleness;  and 
if  thou  seest  a  holy  man  treated  differently 
from  thee,  and  God's  majesty  is  shown  by  this 
one's  virtue,  rejoice  in  his  good  fortune  as  if 
it  were  thine  own.  Children,  this  is  indeed 
true  love. 

0,  if  one  has  committed  all  the  sins  in  the 
world,  and  now  coming  to  the  end  of  his  life 
is  granted  such  a  conversion,  and  has  thus 
given  himself  up  to  God's  will  absolutely  and 
in  perfect  love,  he  will  go  straight  to  heaven. 
But  no  man  can  bestow  this  grace  in  thee,  for 
it  is  God's  gift  alone.  And  as  there  can  be 
no  better  death  than  one  blest  with  this 
love,  so  there  can  be  no  more  blessed  life  than 

130 


Jofjann  'cattlcr 

one  spent  in  such  love,  always  more  and  more 
abounding  in  it,  the  lover  finally  absorbed  in 
the  Beloved. 

But  sins  and  temptations  stand  opposed  to 
this  love.  As  to  temptations,  these  are,  taken 
in  themselves,  not  sinful,  being  only  incidental 
to  our  fallen  nature's  evil  tendencies.  We 
must  not  desire  them,  nor  induce  them.  But 
as  to  the  pain  they  bring  in  resisting  them, 
that  we  should  welcome,  lovingly  placing  our 
shoulders  under  this  heavy  burden.  "Would 
God  have  thee  fight  temptations  till  the  day 
of  judgment?  Make  up  thy  mind  to  do  so 
gladly — do  it  out  of  love  of  suffering,  and  to 
the  praise  and  honor  of  God.  Everything 
that  one  is  thus  called  on  to  suffer,  let  him 
accept  it  as  from  God.  And  if  the  merit  of  it 
be  given  not  to  thyself  but  rather  to  some  poor 
Jew  or  heathen  whom  thou  hast  never  seen, 
given  him  for  his  soul's  salvation,  then 
shouldst  thou  thank  God  for  it  most  sincerely, 
and  be  glad  of  it  as  if  it  were  all  bestowed 
on  thyself. 

Another  enjoyment  of  love  is  the  sensible 
presence  of  the  beloved  and  the  sweetness 
of  devotion  overflowing  the  heart.  But  sup- 
pose a  man  had  all  of  that  joy  in  every  pos- 
sible fulness  he  could  desire,  and  that  it  was 
now  revealed  to  him  that  God  would  empty 
his  soul  of  it  all,  and  give  it  to  his  deadliest 

131 


Classics* 

enemy,  what  then  ?  He  must  be  glad  of  it,  and 
give  it  over  with  his  heart's  best  love.  Once 
I  heard  a  great  friend  of  God  say  this:  "I 
can  not  do  otherwise;  I  am  under  constraint 
more  heartily  to  wish  my  neighbor  to  go  to 
heaven  than  myself."  And  that  is  what  I 
call  love. 

And  there  are  many  other  objects  of  a  lov- 
ing heart's  desire.  One  would  be  glad  of  the 
gift  of  divine  peace;  he  would  be  glad  of  a 
state  of  life  poorer  than  any  orphan  in  the 
whole  world.  But  I  say  to  thee,  leave  on  one 
side  thy  own  plans  and  devices;  let  love  do 
thy  planning,  and  do  thou  simply  go  out  to 
thyself  and  all  that  is  thine  in  loving  aban- 
donment to  thy  Beloved,  resting  in  humility 
and  detachment  of  spirit. 

One  must  have  love  abounding  "more  and 
more  in  knowledge,  and  in  all  understand- 
ing"; and  that  does  not  mean  simply  a  good 
way  or  degree  of  loving,  but  the  very  best. 
In  knowledge  indeed:  for  the  prince  of  this 
world  has  everywhere  planted  weeds  among 
the  roses,  so  that  the  weeds  often  choke  the 
roses  to  death,  or  at  least  greatly  stunt  their 
growth.  One  must  get  away  from  dangerous 
company;  separations  are  inevitable,  whether 
we  speak  of  persons  in  communities  or  those 
who  remain  outside.  And  this  does  not  mean 
that  God's  friends  should  become  little  sects 

132 


'caulrr 

among  ordinary  people  in  the  world,  and 
separated  from  them.  No;  but  they  should 
be  only  separated  from  others  by  their  love 
of  God  and  their  virtuous  lives. 

The  love  so  far  treated  of  is  the  lower 
powers  of  the  soul,  and  by  it  nature  is  granted 
the  enjoyment  of  many  sweet  spiritual  mor- 
sels and  many  drinks  of  the  wine  of  Cyprus. 
Such  was  the  privilege  of  the  disciples,  while 
our  Lord  was  personally  present  with  them. 
But  at  last  he  said:  "It  is  expedient  to  you 
that  I  go"  (John  16:  7).  That  is  to  say:  If 
you  would  enjoy  me  in  the  noblest  manner, 
then  you  must  give  me  up.  For  be  assured, 
children,  that  this  love  in  abandonment  is  as 
much  higher  than  the  other  as  heaven  is  high- 
er than  earth.  And  unto  this  love  the  apostles 
were  now  introduced.  0  how  much  happier 
is  the  lot  of  those  who  are  granted  this  love. 
Love  like  this  consists  only  in  denying,  not 
at  all  in  agreeing ;  it  is  not  possessing  God  in 
the  way  the  apostles  had  possest  him  in  their 
Master's  presence,  but  possessing  him  in  the 
want  of  him. 

This  is  a  kind  of  not  knowing  that  is  a 
superessential  knowledge,  lifted  far  above  rea- 
soning— superessential  and  super-wise.  But 
when  this  process  of  elevating  love  is  going 
forward,  the  soul  that  endures  it  struggles 
like  an  infant  being  weaned ;  cowardly  nature, 

133 


£>ebottonal 

flying  from  God 's  face  into  the  hidden  corners 
of  the  soul  is  all  forlorn  and  supremely  dis- 
turbed. For  nature  is  wholly  unequal  to  this 
trial.  To  such  desolation  is  the  soul  reduced 
that  it  dare  not  look  at  itself,  it  seems  to  itself 
to  have  ceased  to  think,  ceased  to  desire.  Nor 
is  the  soul  able  to  offer  this  agony  to  God — so 
at  least  it  feels — and  it  can  but  cling  to  a 
state  of  apparently  absolute  unknowingness. 
And  yet  that  soul  loves ;  it  renounces  self  for 
love;  it  dies  to  all  objects  of  love  that  it  had 
in  those  introductory  steps  we  have  already 
considered,  assuming  in  this  obscurity  a  high- 
er love.  In  very  truth,  it  is  God  who  is  now 
at  work  in  the  soul ;  it  is  he  who  loves  himself 
there,  and  is  the  only  object  of  love.  As  to 
the  soul,  there  is  now  nothing  for  it  but  self- 
renunciation  and  enduring  that  process  of 
new  formation  which  is  taking  place  in  the 
divine  obscurity,  as  we  find  it  described  in  St. 
Dionysius.  Poor  human  nature  is  now  led  in 
a  very  different  way  from  the  former  one; 
it  is  the  way  of  perfect  denudation  of  self. 

And  this  is  not  only  in  the  interior  life,  but 
it  extends  to  outward  things  also — all  sup- 
port, all  consolation  is  withdrawn.  Even  the 
sacraments  are  often  directly  refused  to  such 
a  soul,  or  they  are  somehow  withheld,  and 
this  is  done  by  God's  own  ordering.  Before 
this  visitation  I  would  have  given  such  a  one 

134 


3Totjann 

holy  communion  every  day — and  at  present 
would  by  no  means  do  so,  for  God  wills  other- 
wise. The  soul  must  now  tread  another  path, 
leading  upward  in  deep  darkness.  That  spirit 
must  rest  in  God's  Spirit  in  a  hidden  stillness 
as  if  absorbed  in  God. 

Light  at  last  shines  in  that  darkness,  but  it 
is  seen  only  when  the  soul  finds  itself  in  com- 
plete single-minded  resignation  of  self  to  God. 
And  in  that  state,  all  multiplicity  is  unified. 
This  is  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ  spoken  of  by 
St.  Paul.  Now  for  the  first  time  is  Christ 
rightly  received  with  all  the  fruits  of  his  pas- 
sion and  death.  It  is  his  day,  bright  and  clear, 
in  all  purification.  Not  that  there  is  to  him 
any  increase  of  the  fruits  of  his  passion  and 
death ;  but  in  us  the  gain  is  wonderfully  great, 
because  we  have  him  in  this  high  and  noble 
state  of  holiness  in  a  way  far  above  forms  and 
images  of  the  mind;  in  a  hidden  way,  most 
interior  and  most  divine. 

And  our  Lord  offers  an  instructive  illus- 
tration of  this  state.  Before  his  death  he  al- 
lowed himself  to  be  touched  by  Mary  Mag- 
dalene, his  feet  washed,  his  head  anointed. 
Not  so  after  his  death:  "Jesus  saith  to  her: 
do  not  touch  me,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to 
my  Father"  (John  20:17).  Thus  in  the 
lower  spiritual  state,  he  allows  himself  to  be 
touched,  washed,  anointed  by  the  soul  he  loves, 

135 


Dfbotional 

to  that  soul's  intense  joy.  But  in  the  higher 
spiritual  degree  it  is  not  so :  he  is  now  known 
to  the  soul  only  as  he  is  in  the  bosom  of  his 
Father — he  is  ascended,  he  has  disappeared 
with  all  that  he  is.  This  is  what  the  soul 
finds  in  Christ — true  day. 

This  was  foreshown  in  the  generation  of 
Hie  Son  by  the  Father  in  the  divine  life,  and 
the  procession  of  the  Holy  Ghost  from  the 
Father  and  the  Son  in  ever  fruitful  love. 
This  is  indeed  the  true  day,  in  which  true  love 
is  born  in  its  proper  way  and  fitting  nobility 
of  birth,  all  in  Jesus  Christ ;  as  St.  Gregory 
has  described  it.  On  this  state  a  great  teacher 
of  our  order  thus  speaks :  ' '  The  light  of  Jesus 
Christ  shines  in  our  interior  soul  clearer  than 
the  sun  in  the  heavens,  and  his  light  is  from 
the  interior  outward,  and  not  from  the  exte- 
rior inward. ' '  Children,  there  is  herein  experi- 
enced a  wonderful  increase  of  holiness,  pass- 
ing all  calculation.  It  goes  on  not  day  by  day, 
but  every  hour  and  every  instant.  But  one  in 
this  state  must  watch  himself  very  carefully, 
and  he  must  labor  diligently  to  stand  his 
ground.  That  we  shall  do  so  all  of  us  who  are 
true  friends  of  God  earnestly  hope,  namely, 
that  we  "may  more  and  more  abound"  in 
holy  love.  May  God,  who  is  true  love,  help  us 
to  all  this.  AMEN. 


136 


SELECTIONS  FROM  THE 

of  Ditoine  Jlotoe 

to 
3fultana  of 

1373 


137 


JULIANA   OF  NORWICH 

English  mystic,  author  of  "Revelations  of  Divine 
Love";  born  near  Norwich  in  1342;  said  to  have 
been  "yet  in  life"  in  1442.  She  became  a  recluse  in 
an  anchorage  attached  to  the  Church  of  St.  Julian 
of  Norwich.  In  the  first  chapter  of  her  "Revela- 
tions" she  says:  "This  is  a  revelation  of  love,  that 
Jesu  Christ  our  endless  blisse  made  in  xvi.  shew- 
ings."  In  the  second  chapter  she  says:  "This 
revelation  was  made  to  a  simple  creature  unlettered, 
living  in  deadlie  flesh,  the  year  of  our  Lord,  a 
thousand  three  hundreth  Ixxiij,  the  xiiijth  daie  of 
Male :  which  creature  desired  before  three  gifts  by 
the  grace  of  God.  'The  first  was  mind  of  the 
passion.'  'The  second  was  bodilie  sickness.'  'The 
third  was  to  have  of  God's  gift  three  woundes,  .  .  . 
that  is  to  say,  the  wound  of  verie  contrition,  the 
wound  of  kind  compassion,  and  the  wound  of 
willful  longing  to  God' " 

The  book  is  a  record  of  twenty  years'  meditation 
on  these  experiences.  More  than  fifteen  years 
later  she  received  "in  ghostly  understanding"  the 
key  to  the  interpretation  of  her  religious  experi- 
ences: "What?  wouldst  thou  wit  thy  Lord's  mean- 
ing in  this  thing?  Wit  it  well :  Love  was  his  mean- 
ing. Who  sheweth  it  thee?  Love.  Wherefore 
sheweth  he  it  thee'?  For  love.  Hold  thee  therein, 
thou  shalt  wit  more  in  the  same.  But  thou  shalt 
never  wit  therein  other  without  end." 


138 


[The  first  five  chapters  sum  up  the  contents  of  the  "Six- 
teen Revelations,"  give  the  circumstances  (severe  illness) 
and  time  (1373)  in  which  they  were  received,  indicate 
that  they  were  mediated  through  the  sight  of  the  crucifix 
held  before  her  during  and  after  the  administration  of 
the  Church's  last  rites,  and  describe  the  vision — of  blood 
streaming  from  the  wounds  caused  by  the  crown  of  thorns 
(later  from  the  other  wounds)  of  the  figure  on  the  cross, 
out  of  which  the  "Revelations"  flowed.] 

In  Mother  Juliana 's  ' '  Kevelations  of  Divine 
Love,"  we  see  love  in  its  double  capacity 
as  the  revealed  and  the  revealer:  "Love  was 
his  meaning.  Who  shewed  it  thee  ?  Love. ' '  Nur- 
tured in  the  rich  soil  of  medieval  Christian- 
ity, she  found  in  the  Catholic  dogma  of  God 
incarnate  and  crucified  for  love  of  his  sinful 
creatures  a  conception  of  the  nature  and  re- 
lations of  the  spiritual  world  whose  fertility 
is  simply  inexhaustible,  comparable  in  some 
sort  to  those  master-hypotheses  of  science 
which  receive  overwhelming  confirmation  day 
by  day,  through  their  success  in  coordinating 
previously  irreconcilable  tracts  of  experience 
into  a  harmonious  unity.  We  can  trace  in  these 
"shewings"  the  development  of  the  love 
which  was  awakened  in  her  own  heart  in  re- 
sponse to  that  call  from  outside,  by  which  the 

By  arrangement  with  Kegan  Paul,  Trench,  Trtibner  & 
Co. 

139 


jDfbotional  Classics 

Church,  as  Christ's  herald,  'arouses  men's 
souls  from  slumber:  "Awake !  thou  that'sleep- 
est,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ  will 
enlighten  thee."  Once  started,  the  process 
works  its  way,  light  kindling  love,  and  love 
thus  kindled,  seeking  further  light  that  it  may 
burn  yet  more  fiercely.  The  nearer  she  is 
brought  to  the  centre  of  the  world  of  spiritual 
realities  and  subjected  to  the  influences  and 
attractions  that  radiate  from  and  converge 
to  that  point ;  the  nearer,  in  other  words,  she 
comes  to  him  in  whom  all  spirits  live  and 
move,  from  whom  they  proceed,  to  whom  they 
return,  so  much  the  more  imperatively  does 
the  affection,  thus  kindled  to  new  ardours, 
seek  to  understand  and  explain  itself  by  fuller 
ideas  and  images  of  the  felt  but  unseen  reali- 
ties; and  also  the  more  faithfully  do  these 
representations,  created,  selected,  or  adapted 
under  the  inspiration  of  love,  correspond 
practically  to  the  truth  of  the  spiritual  world. 
Hence  Love  is  the  teacher,  and  love  is  the 
thing  taught — in  both  cases,  Love  as  incarnate 
in  Christ  crucified,  the  revealer  and  the  re- 
vealed; known,  and  therefore  better  loved; 
loved,  and  therefore  better  known.  In  hers, 
as  in  the  case  of  many  saints  and  mystics, 
the  process,  viewed  on  its  psychological  side, 
seems  to  have  been  accelerated  and  intensified, 
and  lifted  into  the  plane  of  the  preternatural, 

140 


Juliana  of  j]20ffeuci) 

or,  at  least,  of  the  abnormal.  Like  other  acute 
and  all-absorbing  states  of  sensibility,  divine 
love,  when  it  seizes  hold  of  the  emotions,  seems 
to  bring  together  an  independent  system  of 
images,  memories  and  reasonings,  and  thus  to 
create  a  sort  of  secondary  personality,  outside 
the  normal,  whose  utterances  are  not  all  un- 
truly regarded  by  the  latter  as  proceeding 
from  an  external  source.  But  the  particular 
process  by  which  love  in  its  intensified  form 
seeks  self-utterance  is  of  little  moment  com- 
pared with  the  meaning  and  end  of  that 
utterance. 

[From  a  Preface  by  George  Tyrell.  It  will  be  noted 
that  in  the  text  the  spelling  and  wording  of  the  original 
has  been  retained  so  as  to  preserve  in  greater  measure 
the  flavor  and  meaning.] 


This  shewing1  was  given  to  my  understand- 
ing, to  learnela  our  soul  wisely  to  cleave  to  the 
goodnes  of  God,  and  in  that  same  time  the 
custome  of  our  praier  was  brought  to  my 
mind,  how  that  we  use,  for  unknowing  of  love, 
to  make  many  meanes.  Then  sawe  I  verilie 
that  it  is  more  worship  to  God,  and  more  verie 
delight  that  we  faithfullie  pray  to  himself  of 
his  goodnes,  and  cleave  thereto  by  his  grace 

I  Revelation  or  vision. 

II  "Learn"  is  used  throughout  in  the  sense  of  "teach." 

141 


Clas0ic0 

with  true  understanding  and  stedfast  beleif, 
then  if  we  made  all  the  meanes  that  heart  may 
think. 

For  if  we  make  all  these  meanes,  it  is  too 
litle,  and  not  full  worship  to  God ;  but  in  his 
goodnes  is  all  the  whole;  and  there  faileth 
right  nought. 

For  thus  as  I  shall  saie,  came  to  my  minde 
in  the  same  time :  we  pray  to  God  for  his  holie 
flesh,  and  for  his  precious  blood,  his  holie  pas- 
sion, his  deare  worthie  death,  and  worshipfull 
wounds;  for  all  the  blessed  kiiidenes  and  the 
endles  life  that  we  have  of  all  this,  it  is  of  the 
goodnes  of  God.  And  we  praie  him  for  his 
sweet  mothers  love  that  bare  him ;  and  all  the 
helpe  that  we  have  of  her  it  is  of  his  goodnes. 
And  we  praie  for  his  holie  crosse,  that  he  died 
on;  and  all  the  helpe,  and  all  the  vertue  of 
that  we  have  of  that  crosse,  it  is  of  his  good- 
nes. 

And  on  the  same  wise,  all  the  helpe  that  we 
have  to  special  saints,  and  of  all  the  blessed 
companie  of  heaven;  the  deare  worthie  love, 
and  the  holy  endles  friendship  that  we  have 
of  them,  it  is  of  his  goodnes. 

For  the  meanes  that  the  goodnes  of  God 
hath  ordeined  for  to  helpe  us  be  full  faire  and 
many. 

Of  which  the  chiefe  and  principall  meane 
is  the  blessed  kinde  that  he  took  of  the  maiden, 

142 


Juliana  of  ^ 

with  all  the  meanes  that  went  before,  and 
come  after,  which  be  longing  to  our  redemp- 
tion and  to  our  endless  salvation. 

Wherefore  it  pleaseth  him  that  we  seeke 
him  and  worship  him  by  meanes ;  understand- 
ing and  knowing  that  he  is  the  goodnes  of  all. 

For  to  the  goodnes  of  God  is  the  highest 
praier,  and  it  cometh  down  to  us  to  the  lowest 
partie  of  our  neede;  it  quickneth  our  soule, 
and  maketh  it  live,  and  makes  it  to  waxe  in 
grace  and  vertue;  it  is  nearest  in  kind  and 
readiest  in  grace. 

For  it  is  the  same  grace  that  the  soule  seek- 
eth,  and  ever  shall  till  we  know  our  God 
verilie  that  hath  us  all  in  himself  beclosed. 

A  man  goeth  upright,  and  the  soule  of  his 
body  is  sparred2  as  a  purse  full  faire,  and 
when  it  is  time  of  his  necessity,  it  is  opened 
and  sparred  againe  full  honestlie. 

And  that  it  is  he  that  doth  this,  it  is  shewed 
there  where  he  saith, ' '  He  cometh  downe  to  us 
to  the  lowest  part  of  our  need. ' '  For  he  hath 
no  despite  of  that  he  made,  ne2a  hath  he  no 
disdaine  to  serve  us  at  the  simplest  office  that 
to  our  bodie  longeth  in  kind,  for  love  of  the 
soule  that  he  made  to  his  own  likenes. 

For  as  the  bodie  is  cladd  in  the  cloath,  and 
the  flesh  in  the  skinn,  and  the  bones  in  the 
flesh,  and  the  heart  in  the  bulke,3  so  are  we 

*  Fastened,  closed.  *»  Nor.  *  Body. 

143 


soule  and  bodie  cladd  and  enclosed  in  the 
goodnes  of  God:  yea,  and  more  homelie,  for 
all  they  vanish  and  wast  away,  the  goodnes 
of  God  is  ever  whole  and  more  nere  to  us 
without  any  comparison. 

For  truelie  our  Lover  desireth  that  the 
soule  cleave  to  him  with  all  the  mightes,  and 
that  we  be  evermore  cleaving  to  his  goodnes : 
for  of  all  thing  that  heart  can  thinke  it 
pleaseth  most  God,  and  soonest  speedeth. 

For  our  soule  is  so  preciouslie  loved  of  him 
that  is  highest,  that  it  over-passeth  the  know- 
ing of  all  creatures: 

That  is  to  saie,  there  is  no  creature  that  is 
made  that  may  wit  how  much,  and  how  sweet- 
ly, and  how  tenderlie  that  our  Maker  loveth 
us.  And  therefore  we  may  with  his  grace  and 
his  helpe  stand  in  ghostlie4  beholding  with 
everlasting  marvailing  in  this  high  over-pass- 
ing immeasurable  love  that  our  Lord  hath  to 
us  of  his  goodnes. 

And  therefore,  we  may  aske  of  our  Lover 
with  reverence  all  that  we  will :  for  our  kindlie 
will  is  to  have  God,  and  the  goodwill  of  God 
is  to  have  us :  and  we  may  never  cease  of  will- 
ing, ne  of  loving,  till  we  have  him  in  ful- 
head4a  of  joy. 

And  then  we  may  no  more  will ;  for  he  will 

«  Spiritual. 

**  Fulness — eo  often  in  the  "Revelations." 

144 


Juliana  ot 

that  we  be  occupied  in  knowing  and  loving, 
till  the  time  cometh  that  we  shall  be  fulfilled 
in  heaven. 

And  therefore  was  this  lesson  of  love  shew- 
ed with  all  that  followeth  as  you  shall  see; 
for  the  strength  and  the  ground  of  all  was 
shewed  in  the  first  sight:  for,  of  all  things, 
the  beholding  and  the  loving  of  the  Maker 
maketh  the  soul  to  seem  least  in  his  own 
sight,  and  most  filleth  it  with  reverent  dread 
and  true  meekness,  and  with  plenty  of  charity 
to  his  even  Christian.5 

Cfjaptcr  eicbm 

And  after  this,  I  saw  God  in  a  point,5a  that 
is  to  say,  in  my  understanding:  by  which 
sight  I  saw  that  he  is  in  all  thing.  I  beheld 
with  advisement,  seeing  and  knowing  in  that 
sight,  that  he  doth  all  that  is  done.  I  mar- 
velled in  that  sight  with  a  soft  dread,  and 
thought:  what  is  sin?  For  I  saw  truly,  that 
God  doth  all  thing,  be  it  never  so  litle.  And  I 
saw  verily,  that  nothing  is  done  by  happ,  ne 
by  adventure,  but  all  by  the  aforesaid  wisdom 
of  God ;  if  it  be  happ  or  adventure  in  the  sight 
of  man,  our  blind-head6  and  un-fore-sight  is 
the  cause.  For  those  things  that  be  in  the 

6  "Even  Christian" = fellow  Christians. 

84  That  Is,  "precisely,"  constantly  used  in  this  sense. 

*  Blindness. 

Ill— 10  145 


foresaid  wisdom  of  God  been  fro  without 
beginning,7  which  rightfully  and  worshipfully 
continually  he  leadeth  to  the  best  end:  as  it 
cometh  about,  falling  to  us  suddenly,  our  un- 
witting. And  thus  by  our  blindness  and  our 
unforesight  we  say  these  things  be  by  happs 
and  adventure. 

Thus  I  understand  in  this  shewing  of  love : 
for  well  I  wot,  in  the  sight  of  our  Lord  God 
is  no  happ  ne  adventure.  "Wherefore  me  be- 
hoved8 needs  to  grant  that  all  things  that  are 
done  are  well  done;  for  our  Lord  God  doth 
all:  for  in  this  time  the  working  of  creatures 
was  not  shewed,  but  of  our  Lord  God  in  the 
creatures;  for  he  is  in  the  mid  point  of  all 
things ;  and  all,  he  doth.  And  I  am  sure  that 
he  doth  no  sin. 

And  here  I  saw  verily  that  sin  is  no  deed : 
for  in  all  this,  sin  was  not  shewed.  And  I 
would  no  longer  marvel  in  this,  but  beheld 
our  Lord  what  he  would  shew. 

And  thus  as  it  might  be  for  the  time,  the 
rightf ulness  of  God's  work  was  shewed  for 
the  soul. 

Rightfulness  hath  two  fair  properties.  It 
is  right,  and  it  is  full:  and  so  be  all  the 
works  of  our  Lord.  And  thereto  needeth 
neither  working  of  mercy  ne  grace :  for  they 

7  I.e.,  are  eternal  as  fixed  in  God's  mind. 
8 "Me  beloved"^:"!  must.'' 

146 


Juliana  ot 

be  all  rightful,  wherein  faileth  right  nought. 
And  in  an  other  time,  he  shewed  for  behold- 
ing of  sin  naked,  as  I  shall  say ;  after  when  he 
useth  working  of  mercy  and  of  grace.  This 
vision  was  shewed  to  my  understanding;  for 
our  Lord  will  have  the  soul  turned  truly  unto 
the  beholding  of  him,  and  generally  of  all  his 
works,  for  they  be  full  good.  And  all  his 
dooms9  be  easie  and  sweet,  and  two  great  eyes 
bringing  the  soul  that  is  turned  from  the  be- 
holding of  the  blind  deeming10  of  man  into  the 
faire  sweet  deeming  of  our  Lord  God.  For 
man,  he  holdeth  some  deeds  well  done,  and 
some  deeds  evil :  and  our  Lord  beholdeth  them 
not  so,  for  as  all  that  hath  being  in  kind  is  of 
God's  making,  so  is  all  thing  that  is  done  in 
property  of  God's  doing.  For  it  is  easie  to 
understand  that  the  best  deed  is  well  done; 
and  so  well  as  the  best  deed  that  is  done,  and 
the  highest,  so  well  is  the  least  deed  done :  and 
all  in  the  property  and  in  the  order  that  our 
Lord  hath  it  ordeined  to,  fro  without  begin- 
ning. For  there  is  no  Door  [Doer]  but  he. 
I  saw  full  truly  that  he  changed  never  his 
purpose  in  no  manner  of  thing,  ne  never  shall 
without  end :  for  there  was  nothing  unknown 
to  him  in  his  rightful  ordinance,  fro  without 
beginning.  And  therefore  all  thing  were  set 
in  order  ere  anything  was  made,  as  it  should 

8  Decrees.  -a  Judgment. 

147 


Classics 

stand  without  end;  and  no  manner  of  thing 
shall  fail  of  that  point ;  for  he  hath  made  all 
thing  in  fulhead10a  of  goodnes. 

And  therefore  the  blessed  Trinity  is  ever 
full  pleased  in  all  his  works.  And  all  this 
shewed  he  full  blessedly,  meaning  thus,  "See 
I  am  God :  See  I  am  in  all  things :  See  I  do  all 
things:  See  I  never  left  my  hands  of  my 
works,  ne  never  shall  without  end :  See  I  lead 
all  thing  to  the  end  that  I  ordaine  it  to,  fro 
without  beginning,  by  the  same  might,  wis- 
dom, and  love  that  I  made  it  with.  How 
should  anything  be  amiss?"  Thus  mightily, 
wisely,  and  lovingly  was  the  soul  examined 
in  this  vision.  Then  saw  I  verily  that  me  be- 
hoveth11  needs  to  assent  with  great  reverence 
and  joy  in  God. 


Chapter  tfouttten 

And  after  this  our  Lord  said,  "I  thank 
thee  of  thy  service,  and  of  thy  travel  of  thy 
youth."  And  in  this  my  understanding  was 
lift  up  into  heaven,  where  I  saw  our  Lord  God 
as  a  lord  in  his  own  house,  which  lord  hath 
called  all  his  dear  worthy  friends  to  a  solemn 
feast.  Then  I  saw  the  Lord  taking  no  place 
in  his  own  house ;  but  I  saw  him  royally  reign 

ioa  Fulness.  u  "Me  behoveth"  =  "I  must." 

148 


Juliana  of 

in  his  house,  and  all  fulfilleth  it  with  joy  and 
mirth,  endlesly  to  glad  and  solace  his  dear 
worthy  friends,  full  homely  and  full  curt- 
eously  with  marvelous  melody  in  endless  love, 
in  his  own  fair  blessedful  cheer:  which  glori- 
ous cheer  of  the  Godhead  fulfilleth  all  heaven 
of  joy  and  bliss.  God  shewed  three  degrees 
of  bliss  that  each  soul  shall  have  in  heaven, 
that  willingfully  hath  served  God  in  any  de- 
gree in  earth.  The  first  is,  the  worship  and 
thanks  that  he  shall  receive  of  our  Lord  God 
when  he  is  delivered  of  paine :  this  thanks  is 
so  high  and  so  worshipful,  that  him  thinketh 
that  it  filleth  him,  though  there  were  no  more ; 
for  methought  all  the  pain  and  travel  that 
might  be  suffered  of  all  living  men  might  not 
have  deserved  the  worshipful  thank  that  one 
man  shall  have  that  wilfully  hath  served  God. 
For  the  second,  that  all  the  blessed  creatures 
that  be  in  heaven  shall  see  the  worshipful 
thanking ;  and  he  maketh  his  service  known  to- 
all  that  be  in  heaven.  And  in  this  time  this 
example  was  shewed :  a  king,  if  he  thank  his 
subjects,  it  is  a  great  worship  to  them,  and 
if  he  make  it  known  to  all  the  realm,  then 
their  worship  is  much  encreased.  And  for 
the  third,  that  as  new  and  as  liking12  as  it  is 
undertaken  that  time,  right  so  shall  it  last 
without  end.  And  I  saw  that  homely  and 

12  Pleasantly,  agreeably. 

149 


Sttbotional 

sweetly  was  this  shewed,  that  the  age  of  every 
man  shall  be  known  in  heaven,  and  be  re- 
warded for  his  wilful13  service  and  for  his 
time ;  and  namely14  the  age  of  them  that  wil- 
fully15 and  freely  offer  their  youth  to  God, 
passingly16  is  rewarded  and  wonderfully 
thanked;  for  I  saw  that  when  or  what  time 
that  a  man  or  woman  be  truly  turned  to  God, 
for  one  dayes  service  and  for  his  endless  will, 
he  shall  have  all  these  three  degrees  of  bliss. 
And  the  more  that  the  loving  soul  seeth  this 
courtesie  of  God,  the  levir17  she  is  to  serve 
him  all  her  life. 


And  thus  saw  I  our  Lord  Jesu  languringts 
long  time;  for  the  uning19  of  the  God-head 
gave  strength  to  the  man-head19*  for  love  to 
suffer  more  than  all  men  might;  I  mean  not 
only  more  pain  than  all  men  might  suffer, 
but  also  that  he  suffered  more  pain  than  all 
men  of  salvation  that  ever  was  from  the  first 
beginning  into  the  last  day  might  tell  or 
fully  think — having  regard  to  the  worthiness 
of  the  highest  worshipful  King,  and  the 

18  Willing.  18  Supremely. 

14  Especially.  17  More  willing. 

»  Willingly.  '"  Suffering. 

39  Uniting  [of  Deity  and  humanity]. 

3»«  Humanity. 

150 


liuUana  of  j->cttoictj 

shameful  and  despiteous  painful  death.  For 
he  that  is  highest  and  worthiest  was  foulest 
condemned  and  utterly  despised :  for  his  pas- 
sion is  to  think  and  to  know  that  he  is  God 
that  suffered;  seeing  after  these  other  two 
points  which  be  lower — that  one  is  what  he 
suffered,  and  that  other,  for  whom  that  he 
suffered.  And  in  this  he  brought  to  mind 
in  part  the  height  and  the  nobility  of  the 
glorious  God-head,  and  therewith  the  pre- 
cious-head20 and  the  tenderness  of  the  blessed- 
ful  body  which  be  together  oned,21  and  also 
the  loathfulness  that  in  our  kind21*  is  to  suffer 
pain ;  for  asmuch  as  he  was  most  tender  and 
clean,  right,  so  he  was  most  strong  and  mighty 
to  suffer :  and  for  every  mans  sin  that  shall 
be  saved  he  suffered ;  and  every  mans  sorrow, 
dissolation,  and  anguish  he  saw  and  sorrowed 
for  kindness  and  love ;  for  in  as  much  as  our 
Lady22  sorrowed  for  his  pains,  as  much  suf- 
fered he  sorrow  for  her  sorrows;  and,  more- 
over, in  as  much  as  the  sweet  man-head23  of 
him  was  worthier  in  kind;  for  as  long  as  he 
was  passible,24  he  suffered  for  us  and  sorrowed 
for  us.  And  now  he  is  up-risen,  and  no  more 
passible;  yet  he  suffered  with  us,  as  I  shall 

20  Preclousness. 

21  United  [with  the  divine  Spirit]. 
Wa  Nature. 

K  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus. 

23  Humanity. 

34  Susceptible  of  suffering. 

151 


SDtbotional 

say  after.  And  I  beholding  all  this  by  his 
grace,  saw  that  the  love  in  him  was  so  strong, 
which  he  hath  to  our  soul,  that  willingfully 
he  chose  it  with  great  desire;  and  mildly  he 
suffered  it  with  great  joy;  for  the  soul  that 
he  beholdeth  thus,  when  it  is  touched  by  grace, 
he  shall  verily  see  that  the  pains  of  Christs 
passion  pass  all  pains;  that  is  to  say,  which 
pains  shall  be  turned  into  everlasting  joy  by 
the  vertue  of  Christs  passion. 


One  time  our  good  Lord  said,  ' '  All  manner 
of  thing  shall  be  well";  and  another  time  he 
said,  "Thou  shalt  see  thyself  that  all  manner 
of  thing  shall  be  well."  And  in  these  two 
the  soul  took  sundry  manner  of  understand- 
ing. One  was  this ;  that  he  will,  we  wit  that 
not  only  he  taketh  heed  to  noble  things  and 
to  great,  but  also  to  litle  and  to  small,  to  low 
and  to  simple,  and  to  one  and  to  other.  And 
so  meaneth  he  in  that  he  saith,  "All  manner 
of  thing  shall  be  well";  for  he  will  that  we 
wit  that  the  least  thing  shall  not  be  forgotten. 
Another  understanding  is  this;  that  there  be 
many  deeds  evil  done  in  our  sight,  and  so 
great  harms  take24a  that  it  seemeth  to  us  that 

s**  Seen,  result. 


Juliana  of 

it  were  impossible  that  ever  it  should  come 
to  a  good  end.  And  upon  this  we  look,  sorrow, 
and  mourn  therefore;  so  that  we  cannot  rest 
us  in  the  blissedful  beholding  of  God  as  we 
should  do.  And  the  cause  is  this;  that  the 
use  of  our  reason  is  now  so  blind,  so  low, 
and  so  simple  that  we  cannot  know  the  high 
marvellous  wisdom,  the  might  and  the  good- 
nes,  of  the  blissedful  Trinity.  And  this 
meaneth  he  where  he  saith,  "Thou  shalt  see, 
thyself,  that  all  manner  of  thing  shall  be 
well."  As  if  he  said,  take  now  faithfully 
and  trustfully,  and  at  the  last  end  thou  shalt 
be  verily  in  fulhead25  of  joy.  And  thus  in 
the  same  five  words  beforesaid,  "I  may  make 
all  thing  well,"  I  understand  a  mighty  com- 
fort of  all  works  of  our  Lord  God  that  are 
for  to  come.  There  is  a  deed  the  which  the 
blissedful  Trinity  shall  do  in  the  last  day,  as 
to  my  sight:25*  and  what  the  deed  shall  be, 
and  how  it  shall  be  done,  it  is  unknown  to  all 
creatures  which  are  beneath  Christ,  and  shall 
be  till  when  it  shall  be  done.  The  goodness 
and  the  love  of  our  Lord  God  will,  that  we 
wit  that  it  shall  be:  and  the  might  and  the 
wisdom  of  him  by  the  same  love  will  hill26 
it  and  hide  it  from  us,  what  it  shall  be  and 


25  Fulness. 

2511  As  I  see  It — a  frequent  mannerism  of  this  author. 

28  Conceal. 

153 


SDctmtional  Classics 

how  it  shall  be  done.  And  the  cause  why  he 
will  we  wit  it  thus  is,  for  he  will  we  be  the 
more  eased  in  our  soul,  and  peaceable  in  love, 
leaving  the  beholding  of  all  tempests  that 
might  let27  us  of  true  enjoying  in  him.  This 
is  the  great  deed  ordeined  of  our  Lord  God 
fro  without  beginning,  treasured  and  hid  in 
his  blessed  breast,  only  known  to  himself; 
by  which  deed  he  shall  make  all  thing  well, 
for  right  as  the  blessed  Trinity  made  all 
thing  of  naught,  right  so  the  same  blessed 
Trinity  shall  make  well  all  that  is  not  well. 
And  in  this  sight  I  marvelled  greatly,  and 
beheld  our  faith,  meaning  thus:  Our  faith  is 
grounded  in  Gods  word,  and  it  longeth28  to 
our  faith  that  we  believe  that  Gods  word  shall 
be  saved  in  all  thing:  and  one  point  of  our 
faith  is,  that  many  creatures  shall  be  damned, 
as  angels  that  fell  out  of  heaven  for  pride, 
which  be  now  fiends ;  and  many  in  earth  that 
dyeth  out  of  the  faith  of  Holy  Church ;  that 
is  to  say,  those  that  be  heathen :  and  also 
many  that  hath  received  Christendome,  and 
liveth  unchristen  life,  and  so  dyeth  out  of 
charity;  all  these  shall  be  damned  to  hell 
without  end,  as  Holy  Church  teacheth  me  to 
believe:  and  standing  all  this,  methought  it 
was  unpossible  that  all  manner  of  thing  should 
be  well,  as  our  Lord  shewed  in  this  time.  And 

»  Hinder.  28  Belongeth. 

154 


Juliana  of 

as  to  this,  I  had  no  other  answer  in  shewing 
of  our  Lord  but  this;  "That,  that  is  unpos- 
sible  to  thee,  is  not  unpossible  to  mee ;  I  shall 
save  my  word  in  all  thing,  and  I  shall  make 
all  thing  well."  And  in  this  I  was  taught 
by  the  grace  of  God  that  I  should  stedfastly 
hold  me  in  the  faith  as  I  had  before  under- 
stood. And  therewith,  that  I  should  stand 
and  sadly  believe  that  all  manner  thing  shall 
be  well,  as  our  Lord  shewed  in  the  same  time ; 
for  this  is  the  great  deed  that  our  Lord  God 
shall  do:  in  which  deed  he  shall  save  his 
word  in  all  thing ;  and  he  shall  make  well  all 
that  is  not  well.  But  what  the  deed  shall  be, 
and  how  it  shall  be  done,  there  is  no  creature 
beneath  Christ  that  wot  it,  ne  shall  wit  it  till 
it  is  done,  as  to  the  understanding  that  I  took 
of  our  Lords  meaning  in  this  time. 


Our  Lord  God  shewed  that  a  deed  shall 
be  done,  and  himself  shall  do  it;  and  it  shall 
be  worshipful  and  marvellous,  and  plentuous, 
and  by  him  it  shall  be  done,  and  himself  shall 
do  it.  And  this  is  the  highest  joy  that  the 
soul  understood,  that  God  himself  shall  do 
it.  And  I  shall  do  right  nought  but  sin,  and 

155 


SDibotional 

my  sin  shall  not  let29  his  goodnes  working. 
And  I  saw  that  the  beholding  of  this  is  a 
heavenly  joy  in  a  dreadful 30  soul,  which  ever- 
more kindly  by  grace  desireth  Gods  will. 
This  deed  shall  be  begun  here,  and  it  shall 
be  worshipful  to  God,  and  plentuously  profit- 
able to  all  his  lovers  in  earth.  And  ever  as 
we  come  to  heaven,  we  shall  see  it  in  mar- 
vellous joy.  And  it  shall  last  thus  in  work- 
ing to  the  last  day;  and  the  worship  and  the 
bliss  of  that  shall  last  in  heaven  before  God, 
and  all  his  holy  saints  without  end.  Thus 
was  this  deed  seen  and  understand  in  our 
Lords  meaning ;  and  the  cause  why  he  shewed 
it  is  to  make  us  to  enjoy31  in  him  and  in  all  his 
works. 

When  I  saw  the  shewing  continued,  I  un- 
derstood it  was  shewed  for  a  great  thing  that 
was  then  for  to  come :  which  thing  God 
shewed  that  himself  should  do  it.  Which 
deed  hath  the  properties  before  said.  And 
this  shewed  he  full  blessedfully,  meaning 
that  I  should  take  it  wistly,  faithfully,  and 
trustfully;  but  what  the  deed  should  be  it 
was  kept  privy  to  me.  And  in  this  I  saw, 
he  will  not  we  dread  to  know  the  things  that 
he  sheweth;  he  sheweth  them,  for  he  will  we 
know  them.  By  which  knowing  he  will  we 

29  Hinder,  prevent. 

*°  Fearful,  timid.  ffl  Take  pleasure,  rejoice. 

156 


Juliana  of 

love  him,  and  like  in  him,  and  endlesly  en- 
joy in  him.  And  for  the  great  love  that  he 
hath  to  us,  he  sheweth  us  all  that  is  worship- 
ful and  profitable  for  the  time;  and  those 
things  that  he  will  now  have  privy;  yet  of 
his  great  goodnes  he  shewed  them  close.  In 
which  shewing  he  will  we  believe,  and  under- 
stand, that  we  should  see  it  verily  in  his  end- 
less bliss.  Then  ought  we  to  enjoy  in  him 
for  all  that  he  sheweth,  and  all  that  he  hideth. 
And  if  we  wilfully  and  meekly  do  this,  we 
shall  find  therein  great  ease,  and  endless 
thanking  we  shall  have  of  him  therefore.  And 
this  is  the  understanding  of  this  word,  ' '  That 
it  shall  be  done  by  me"  (that  is  to  say,  [as 
to]  the  general  man;  that  is  to  say,  all  that 
shall  be  safe)  ;  it  shall  be  worshipful,  mar- 
vellous, and  plentuous;  and  "By  me  it  shall 
be  done,  and  God  himself  shall  do  it."  And 
this  shall  be  highest  joy  that  may  be  beholden 
of  the  deed,  that  God  himself  shall  do  it,  and 
man  shall  do  right  nought  but  sin.  Then 
meaneth  our  Lord  God  thus,  as  if  he  said: 
"Behold  and  see,  here  hast  thou  matter  of 
meekness;  here  hast  thou  matter  of  love; 
here  hast  thou  matter  of  knowing  thyself; 
here  hast  thou  matter  of  enjoying  in  me ;  and 
for  my  love  enjoy32  in  me,  for,  of  all  thing, 
therewith  might  thou  most  please  mee. ' '  And 

32  Take  pleasure,  rejoice. 

157 


SDibotional  Classics 

as  long  as  we  be  in  this  life,  what  time  that 
we  by  our  folly  turn  us  to  the  beholding  of 
the  reproved,  tenderly  our  Lord  toucheth  us, 
and  blissedfully  calleth  us,  saying  in  our 
soul  "Let  me  alone,  my  dear  worthy  child; 
intend33  to  me,  I  am  enough  to  thee,  and  en- 
joy334 in  thy  Saviour  and  in  thy  salvation." 
And  that  this  is  our  Lords  working  in  us,  I 
am  sure  the  soul  that  is  pearced  therewith  by 
grace  shall  see  it  and  feel  it;  and  though  it- 
be  so  that  this  deed  be  truly  take  for  the 
general  man,  yet  it  excludeth  not  the  spec- 
ial ;34  for  what  our  good  Lord  will  do  by  his 
poor  creatures,  it  is  now  unknown  to  me. 
But  this  deed,  and  that  other  aforesaid,  it  is 
not  both  one,  but  two  sundry;  but  this  deed 
shall  be  known  sooner,  and  that  shall  be  as 
we  come  to  heaven.  And  to  whom  our 
Lord  giveth  it,  it  may  be  known  here  in 
party.34a  But  the  great  deed  aforesaid  shall 
neither  be  known  in  heaven  nor  in  earth  till 
that  it  be  done.  And  furthermore,  he 
gave  special  understanding  and  teaching  of 
working,  and  shewing  of  miracles  as  this ;  "  It 
is  known  that  I  have  done  miracles  here  be- 
fore many,  and  full  high  and  marvellous, 

83  Have  regard. 

384  Rejoice  (so  frequently  used). 

34  That  is — the  saying  was  general  in  its  purpose,  but 
applicable  to  individuals. 

840  Part — always  thus  employed. 

15S 


Juliana  of 

worshipful  and  great  ;  and  so  as  I  have  done, 
I  do  now  continually,  and  shall  in  coming 
of  time.  It  is  known  that  before  miracles 
come  sorrows,  and  anguish,  and  trouble." 
And  that  is,  that  we  should  know  our  own 
feebleness  and  mischief,  that  we  be  fallen  in 
by  sin,  to  meek  us,33  and  make  us  to  cry  to 
God  for  help  and  grace;  and  great  miracles 
come  after,  and  that,  of  the  high  might  and 
wisdom  and  goodnes  of  God,  shewing  his 
vertue  and  the  joyes  of  heaven,  so  as  it  may 
be  in  this  passing  life;  and  that  for  the 
strengthening  of  our  faith  and  encrease  of 
our  hope  in  charity.  Wherefore  it  pleaseth 
him  to  be  known  and  worshipped  in  miracles. 
Then  meaneth  he  thus,  he  will  that  we  be  not 
born  over-low  for  sorrows  and  tempests  that 
fall  to  us,  for  it  hath  ever  so  been  before 
miracles  comming. 


Sin  is  the  sharpest  scourge  that  any  chosen 
soul  may  be  smitten  with.  Which  scourge 
ail-to36  beateth  man  or  woman,  and  ail-to 
breaketh  him,  and  purgeth  him  in  his  own 
sight,  so  far  forth  that  otherwhile  he  thinketh 
himself  that  he  is  not  worthy  but  as  it  were 
to  sink  into  hell,  till  when  contrition  taketh 

»Make  us  meek.  *•  Completely,  severely. 

159 


SDibotional  Classics 

him  by  touching  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
turneth  the  bitterness  into  hope  of  Gods 
mercy.  And  then  begin  his  wounds  to  heal, 
and  the  soul  to  quicken,  turned  into  the  life 
of  Holy  Church.  The  Holy  Ghost  leadeth 
him  to  confession,  wilfully37  to  shew  his  sins 
nakedly  and  truly  with  great  sorrow  and 
with  great  shame,  that  he  hath  so  defouled 
the  fair  image  of  God.  Then  undertaketh 
he  penance  for  every  sin  enjoyned  by  his 
domes-man,38  that  is  grounded  in  Holy 
Church  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  this  is  one  meekness  that  greatly 
pleaseth  God,  and  also  meekly  taketh  bodily 
sickness  of  God's  sending;  also  sorrow  and 
shame  outwardly,  with  reproof  and  despite 
of  the  world,  with  all  manner  of  grievance 
and  temptations  that  we  be  cast  in,  ghostly 
and  bodily:  full  preciously  our  good  Lord 
keepeth  us,  when  it  seemeth  to  us  that  we  be 
near  forsaken  and  cast  away  for  our  sin,  and 
for39  we  see  that  we  have  deserved  it.  And 
because  of  the  meekness  that  we  get  thereby, 
we  be  raised  full  high  in  God's  sight  by  his 
grace.  And  also  whom  our  Lord  will,  he 
visiteth  of  his  special  grace  with  so  great 
contrition,  and  also  with  compassion  and  true 

n  Of  set  purpose,  determined. 

**  Confessor. 

"  "And  f or" = "because,"  "inasmuch  as.n 

160 


Juliana  of 

longing  to  God,  that  they  be  suddenly  de- 
livered of  sin  and  of  pain,  and  taken  up  to 
bliss,  and  made  even  with  saints.  By  con- 
trition we  be  made  clean,  by  compassion  we 
be  made  ready,  and  by  true  longing  to  God 
we  be  made  worthy. 

These  be  three  means,  as  I  understood, 
whereby  that  all  souls  come  to  heaven ;  that  is 
to  say,  that  have  been  sinners  in  earth,  and 
shall  be  saved :  for  by  these  medicines  behoveth 
that  every  sinful  soul  be  healed;  though 
[after]  that  he  be  healed,  his  wounds  be  seen 
before  God  not  as  wounds  but  as  worships. 
And  so  on  the  contrariwise,  as  we  be  punish- 
ed here  with  sorrow  and  with  penance,  we 
shall  be  rewarded  in  heaven  by  the  courteous 
love  of  our  God  Almighty,  that  will  that  none 
that  come  there  leese40  his  travel  in  any  de- 
gree: for  he  beholdeth  sin  as  sorrow  and 
pains  to  his  lovers,  in  whom  he  assigneth  no 
blame  for  love.  The  meed  that  we  under- 
take [receive]  shall  not  be  litle,  but  it  shall 
be  high,  glorious,  and  worshipful;  and  so 
shall  all  shame  turn  to  worship  and  to  joy. 
For  our  courteous  Lord  will  not  that  his  ser- 
vants despair  for  oft  failing,  ne  for  grievous 
falling;  for  our  falling  letteth  not  him  to 
love  us;  peace  and  love  is  ever  in  us,  being 
and  working ;  but  we  be  not  ever  in  peace  and 

40  Lose 

III— II  161 


Drbotional  Classics* 

in  love.  But  he  will  we  take  heed  thus,  that 
he  is  ground  of  all  our  whole  life  in  love; 
and  furthermore,  that  he  is  our  everlasting 
Keeper,  and  mightily  defendeth  us  against 
all  our  enemies  that  be  full  fell41  and  full 
fierce  upon  us.  And  so  much  our  need  is  the 
more,  for  we  give  them  occasion  by  our  falling. 


And  this  is  a  sovereign  friendship  of  our 
courteous  Lord,  that  he  keepeth  us  so 
tenderly  whiles  we  be  in  our  sin :  and  further- 
more, he  toucheth  us  full  privily,  and  sheweth 
us  our  sin  by  the  sweet  light  of  mercy  and 
grace.  But  when  we  see  ourselves  so  foul 
then  we  wene42  that  God  were  wrath  with  us 
for  our  sin;  then  be  we  stirred  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  contrition  into  prayer  and  desire, 
amending  of  ourself  with  all  our  might,  to 
slack  the  wrath  of  God,  unto  the  time  we 
find  a  rest  in  soul  and  softness  in  conscience. 
And  then  hope  we  that  God  hath  forgiven 
us  our  sin,  and  it  is  true.  And  then  sheweth 
our  courteous  Lord  himself  to  the  soul  mer- 
rily, and  of  full  glad  chear,  with  friendfully 
welcoming  as  if  it  had  been  in  pain  and  in 
prison,  saying  thus :  ' '  My  dear  darling,  I  am 

41  Fierce,  bitter.  «*  Suppose. 

162 


glad  thou  art  come  to  me  in  all  thy  woe;  I 
have  ever  been  with  thee,  and  now  seest  thou 
me  loving,  and  we  be  oned  in  bliss."  Thus 
are  sins  forgiven  by  grace  and  mercy,  and 
our  soul  worshipfully  received  in  joy;  like 
as  it  shall  be  when  it  cometh  into  heaven,  as 
oftimes  as  it  cometh  by  the  gracious  working 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  vertue  of  Christs 
passion.  Here  understood  I  verily,  that  all 
manner  of  thing  is  made  ready  to  us  by  the 
great  goodnes  of  God;  so  far  forth  that, 
what  time  we  be  our  self  in  peace  and  in 
charity,  we  be  verily  safe.  But  for  we  may 
not  have  this  in  fulhead  while  we  be  here, 
therefore  it  befalleth  us  ever  to  live  in  sweet 
praying  and  in  lovely  longing  with  our  Lord 
Jesu,  for  he  longeth  ever  for  to  bring  us  to 
the  fulhead  of  joy,  as  it  is  before  said ;  where 
he  sheweth  the  ghostly  thirst. 

But  now  because  of  all  this  ghostly  comfort 
that  is  before  said ;  if  any  man  or  woman  be 
stirred  by  folly,  to  say  or  to  think;  "If  this 
be  true,  then  were  it  good  for  to  sin,  to  have 
the  more  meed,  or  else  to  charge  the  less 
to  sin";  beware  of  this  stirring,  for  truly  if 
it  come,  it  is  untrue  and  of  the  enemy;  for 
the  same  true  love  that  toucheth  us  all  by  his 
blessed  comfort,  the  same  blessed  love  teach- 
eth  us  that  v/e  shall  hate  sin  only  for  love. 
And  I  am  sure  by  my  own  feeling,  the  more 

163 


Sttbotional 

that  each  kind  soul  seeth  this  in  the  courteous 
love  of  our  Lord  God,  the  lother43  is  him  to 
sin  and  the  more  he  is  ashamed:  for  if  it 
were  laid  before  us  all  the  pain  that  is  in  hell, 
and  in  purgatory,  and  in  earth,  to  suffer  it 
rather  than  sin,  we  should  rather  choose  all 
that  pain  than  sin:  for  sin  is  so  vile,  and  so 
mickle  for  to  hate,44  that  it  may  be  likned  to 
no  pain;  which  pain  is  not  sin.  And  to  me 
was  shewed  none  harder  hell  than  sin ;  for  a 
kind  soul  hateth  no  pain  but  sin,  for  all  is 
good  but  sin,  and  naught  is  evil  but  sin.  And 
when  we  give  our  intent  to  love  and  meekness, 
by  the  working  of  mercy  and  grace  we  be 
made  all  fair  and  clean. 

And  as  mighty  and  as  wise  as  God  is  to 
save  man,  as  willing  he  is.  For  Christ  him- 
self is  ground  of  all  the  laws  of  Christen 
men;  and  he  taught  us  to  doe  good  against 
evil.  Here  we  may  see  that  he  is  himself  this 
charity,  and  doth  to  us  as  he  teacheth  us  to 
do :  for  he  will  that  we  be  like  him  in  whole- 
head45  of  endless  love  to  our  self,  and  to  our 
even  Christen.46  No  more  than  his  love  is 
broken  to  us  for  our  sin,  no  more  will  he  that 
our  love  be  broken  to  our  self,  nor  to  our  even 
Christen,  but  nakedly  hate  sin,  and  endlesly 
love  the  soul,  as  God  loveth  it.  Then  should 

43  More  averse.  **  Wholeness,  entirety. 

44  So  much  to  be  hated.          4B  Fellow  Christians. 

164 


Juliana  of 

we  hate  sin  like  as  God  hateth  it,  and  love  the 
soul  as  God  loveth  it;  for  these  words  that 
God  said,  is  an  endless  comfort,  "I  keep  thee 
full  truly." 


Chapter 

After  this  our  Lord  shewed  for  prayer:  in 
which  shewing  I  saw  two  conditions  in  our 
Lords  meaning.  One  is  rightful  prayer.  An- 
other is  siker47  trust.  But  yet  oftentimes 
our  trust  is  not  full ;  for  we  be  not  sure  that 
God  heareth  us,  as  we  think  for48  our  un- 
worthiness,  and  for  we  feel  right  naught ;  for 
we  be  as  barren  and  as  dry  ofttimes  after  our 
prayers  as  we  were  before.  And  thus,  in  our 
feeling,  our  folly  is  cause  of  our  weakness; 
for  thus  have  I  felt  by  my  self.  And  all  this 
brought  our  Lord  suddenly  to  my  mind,  and 
shewed  these  words,  and  said,  "I  am  ground 
of  thy  beseeking.  First,  it  is  my  will  that 
thou  have  it :  and  sithen49  I  make  thee  to  will 
it,  and  sithen  I  make  thee  to  beseek  it,  and 
thou  seekest  it,  how  should  it  then  be,  that 
thou  shouldest  not  have  thy  seeking?"  And 
thus  in  the  first  reason,  with  the  three  that 
follow,  our  good  Lord  sheweth  a  mighty  com- 
fort, as  it  may  be  seen  in  the  same  words. 

47  Secure.  <*  Because  of.  « Since. 

165 


Classics 

And  in  the  first  reason,  there  he  saith; 
"And  thou  beseek  it,"  there  he  sheweth  full 
great  pleasance  and  endless  meed,  that  he  will 
give  us  for  our  beseeking.  And  in  the  sixth 
reason,  there  he  saith,  "How  should  it  then 
be?"  this  was  said  for  an  unpossible  thing; 
for  it  is  the  most  unpossible  that  may,  that 
we  should  seek  mercy  and  grace  and  not  have 
it.  For  of  all  thing  that  our  good  Lord  mak- 
eth  us  to  beseek  himself,  he  hath  ordained  it 
to  us  from  without  beginning.  Here  may  we 
then  see,  that  our  beseeking  is  not  the  cause 
of  the  goodness  and  grace  that  he  doth  to  us, 
but  his  proper49a  goodnes.  And  that  shewed 
he  verily  in  all  these  sweet  words,  there  he 
saith,  "I  am  ground."  And  our  good  Lord 
will  that  this  be  known  of  his  lovers  in  earth ; 
and  the  more  that  we  know,  the  more  shall 
we  beseech,  if  it  be  wisely  take  ;50  and  so  is  our 
Lords  meaning.  Beseeching  is  a  true  and 
gracious  lasting  will  of  the  soul,  owned  and 
fastened  into  the  will  of  our  Lord,  by  the  sweet 
privy  working  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Our  Lord 
himself  he  is  the  first  receiver  of  our  prayer, 
as  to  my  sight,  and  he  taketh  it  full  thank- 
fully; and  highly  enjoying,  he  sendeth  it  up 
above,  and  setteth  it  in  treasure,  where  it 
shall  never  perish:  it  is  there  before  God, 
with  all  his  holy  saints  continually  received, 

*»  Personal,  own.  w  Done,  seen,  perceived. 

166 


lultana  of 

ever  speeding  our  needs.  And  when  we  shall 
undertake  [receive]  our  bliss,  it  shall  be 
given  us  for  a  degree  of  joy,  with  endless  wor- 
shipful thanking  of  him ;  full  glad  and  merry 
is  our  Lord  of  our  prayer:  and  he  looketh 
thereafter,  and  he  will  have  it;  for  with  his 
grace  it  maketh  us  like  to  himself  in  condi- 
tion, as  we  be  in  kind;  and  so  is  his  blessed 
will:  for  he  saith  thus,  "Pray  intirely,  in- 
wardly, though  thee  think  it  savour  thee  not, 
yet  it  is  profitable  enough,  though  thou  feel 
it  nought:  pray  intirely,  inwardly,  though 
thou  feel  nought,  though  thou  see  nought ;  yea, 
though  thou  think  thou  might  not ;  for  in 
dryness  and  barrenness,  in  sickness,  and  in 
feebleness,  then  is  thy  prayer  full  pleasant  to 
mee,  though  thou  think  it  savor  thee  not  but 
litle;  and  so  is  all  thy  living  prayer  in  my 
sight." 

For  the  meed  and  the  endless  thank  that  he 
will  give  us,  therefore  he  is  covetuous  to  have 
us  praying  continually  in  his  sight.  God  ac- 
cepteth  the  good  will  and  the  travel  of  his 
servants,  howsoever  we  feel:  wherefore  it 
pleaseth  him  that  we  work  in  prayer  and  in 
good  living,  by  his  help  and  his  grace,  reason- 
ably with  discretion,  keeping  our  mights51  to 
him;  till  when  he  have  him  that  we  seek  in 
fulhead  of  joy — that  is,  Jesu.  And  that 

61  Faculties,  powers. 

167 


shewed  lie  ...  where  he  saith,  "Thou 
shalt  have  me  to  thy  meed."  Also  to  prayer 
longeth51*  thanking  :  thanking  is  a  true  inward 
knowing,  with  great  reverence  and  lovely 
dreed,52  turning  our  self  with  all  our  mights 
into  the  working  that  our  Lord  stirred  us  to, 
enjoying  and  thanking  inwardly:  and  some- 
time for  plentuousness  it  breaketh  out  with 
voyce,  and  saith,  *  '  Good  Lord,  grant  mercy  ; 
blessed  mote  thou  be."  And  sometime  when 
the  earth  is  dry  and  feeleth  naught,  or  else  by 
temptation  of  our  enemy,  then  it  is  driven  by 
reason  and  by  grace  to  cry  upon  Our  Lord 
with  voyce,  rehearsing  his  blessed  passion  and 
his  great  goodness.  And  so  the  vertue  of  our 
Lords  word  turneth  into  the  soul,  and  quick- 
eneth  the  heart,  and  entreth  by  his  grace  into 
true  working,  and  maketh  it  to  pray  full 
blessedfully.  And  truly  to  enjoy  in  our  Lord, 
is  a  full  lovely  thanking  in  his  sight. 


Our  Lord  will  that  we  have  true  under- 
standing, and  namely  in  three  things  that 
longeth  to  our  prayer:  the  first  is,  by  whom 
and  how  that  our  prayer  springeth  ;  by  whom, 
he  sheweth  when  he  saith,  "I  am  ground"; 
4and  how  by  his  goodness:  for  he  saith,  "First 

Ka  Belongeth.  B  Grief. 

168 


3luUana  of 

it  is  my  will."  For  the  second,  in  what  man- 
ner and  how  that  we  should  use  our  prayers ; 
and  that  is,  that  our  will  be  turned  into  the 
will  of  our  Lord  enjoying :  and  so  he  meaneth 
when  he  saith,  "I  make  thee  to  will  it."  For 
the  third,  that  we  know  the  fruit  and  end  of 
our  prayer ;  that  is,  to  be  oned  and  like  to  our 
Lord  in  all  thing;  and  to  this  meaning  and 
for  this  end  was  all  this  lovely  lesson  shewed  : 
and  he  will  help  us,  and  he  shall  make  it  so 
as  he  seeth  himself;  blessed  mote  he  be:  for 
this  is  our  Lords  will  that  our  prayer  and  our 
trust  be  both  alike  large ;  for  if  we  trust  not 
as  mickle  as  we  pray,  we  do  not  full  worship 
to  our  Lord  in  our  prayer.  And  also  we 
tarry  and  pain  our  self;  and  the  cause  is  as 
I  believe,  for  we  know  not  truly  that  our  Lord 
is  ground  in  whom  that  our  prayer  springeth. 
And  also  that  we  know  not  that  it  is  given  us 
by  grace  of  his  love;  for  if  we  knew  this,  it 
would  make  us  to  trust  to  have  of  our  Lords 
gift  all  that  we  desire ;  for  I  am  sure  that  no 
man  asketh  mercy  and  grace  with  true  mean- 
ing, and  if53  mercy  and  grace  be  first  given  to 
him.  But  sometime  it  cometh  to  our  mind  that 
we  have  prayed  long  time,  and  yet  it  thinketh 
us  that  we  have  not  our  asking :  but  herefore 
should  we  not  be  heavy ;  for  I  am  sure  by  our 
Lords  meaning,  that  either  we  abide  a  better 

53  But  if=unlesB. 

169 


SDibotional  Classics 

time,  or  more  grace,  or  a  better  gift.  He  will 
that  we  have  true  knowing  in  himself  that  he 
is  being.  And  in  this  knowing,  he  will  that 
our  understanding  be  grounded  with  all  our 
mights,  and  all  our  intents,  and  all  our  mean- 
ings :  and  in  this  ground,  he  will  that  we  take 
our  steeds  [standl,  and  our  dwelling.  And 
by  the  gracious  light  of  himself,  he  will  that 
we  have  understanding  of  three  things  that 
follow.  The  first  is,  our  noble  and  excellent 
making.  The  second,  our  precious  and  dear 
worthy  again-being.54  The  third,  all  thing 
that  he  hath  made  beneath  us,  to  serve  us,  and 
for  our  love  keepeth  it.  Then  meaneth  he 
thus,  as  if  he  said,  "Behold  and  see  that  I 
have  done  all  this  before  thy  prayer,  and  now 
thou  art,  and  prayest  me."  And  thus  he 
meaneth,  that  it  longeth  to  us  to  wit  that  the 
greatest  deeds  be  done,  as  Holy  Church 
teacheth.  And  in  the  beholding  of  this,  with 
thanking,  we  owe  to  pray  for  the  deed  that  is 
now  in  doing ;  and  that  is,  that  he  rule  us  and 
guide  us  to  his  worship  in  this  life,  and  bring 
us  to  his  bliss ;  and  therefore  he  hath  done  all. 
Then  meaneth  he  thus;  that  we  see  that  he 
doth  it,  and  we  pray  therefore;  for  that  one 
is  not  enough :  for  if  we  pray  and  see  not  that 
he  doth  it,  it  maketh  us  heavy  and  doubtful, 
and  that  is  not  his  worship.  And  if  we  see 

•*  Future  life. 

170 


Juliana  of  j^ortoiri) 

that  doth  it,  and  we  pray  not,  we  do  not  our 
duty:  and  so  it  may  not  be;  that  is  to  say, 
so  is  it  not  in  his  beholding.  But  to  see  that 
he  doth  it,  and  to  pray  f orthwithall :  so  is  he 
worshipped,  and  we  speed.  All  thing  that 
our  Lord  hath  ordained  to  doe,  it  is  his  will 
that  we  pray  therefore,  either  in  special  or 
in  general.  And  the  joy  and  the  bliss  that  is  to 
him,  and  the  thank  and  the  worship  that  we 
shall  have  therefore,  it  passeth  the  under- 
standing of  all  creatures  in  this  life,  as  to  my 
sight.  For  prayer  is  a  rightwise  understand- 
ing of  that  fulhead  of  joy  that  is  for  to  come, 
with  true  longing,  and  very  trust.  Savour- 
ing or  seeing  our  bliss,  that  we  be  ordained  to, 
kindly  maketh  us  to  long.  True  understand- 
ing and  love,  with  sweet  meaning  in  our 
Saviour,  graciously  maketh  us  to  trust.  And 
thus  have  we  of  kind  to  long,  and  of  grace  to 
trust :  and  in  these  two  workings  our  Lord  be- 
holdeth  us  continually.  For  it  is  our  duty  (and 
his  goodness  may  no  less  assigne  in  us),  that 
longeth  to  us  to  doe  our  diligence  thereto: 
and  when  we  do  it,  yet  shall  us  think  that  it  is 
naught:  and  true  it  is.  But  doe  we  as  we 
may,  and  meekly  ask  mercy  and  grace;  and 
all  that  us  faileth,  we  shall  it  find  in  him. 
And  thus  meaneth  he,  there  he  saith,  "I  am 
the  ground  of  thy  beseeching."  And  thus 
in  those  blessedful  words,  with  the  shewing,  I 

171 


SDebotional  Classics* 

saw  a  full  overcoming  against  all  our  wicked- 
ness, and  all  our  doubtful  dreeds. 


Chapter  jF0ttj>« 

Prayer  oneth  the  soul  to  God,  which  is  ever 
like  to  God  in  kind  and  in  substance,  restored 
by  grace  ;  but  it  is  oft  unlike  in  condition,  by 
sins  of  mans  party.  Then  is  prayer  a  witness 
that  the  soul  will  as  God  will,  and  comforteth 
the  conscience,  and  ableth  man  to  grace.  And 
thus  he  teacheth  us  to  pray  ;  and  mightily  to 
trust  that  we  shall  have  it  ;  for  he  beholdeth 
us  in  love,  and  will  make  us  partner  of  his 
good  will  and  deed  :  and  therefore  he  stirreth 
us  to  pray  that  that  liketh  him  to  do:  for 
which  prayer  and  good  will  that  we  have  of 
his  gift  he  will  reward  us  and  give  us  endless 
meed.  And  this  was  shewed  in  this  word, 
"And  thou  beseekest  it."  In  this  word  God 
shewed  so  great  pleasance  and  so  great  liking, 
as  he  were  much  beholding  to  us  for  each 
good  deed  that  we  do;  and  yet  it  is  he  that 
doth  it  :  and  for  that  we  beseech  him  mightily 
to  do  that  thing  that  him  liketh  ;  as  if  he  said, 
"What  might  thou  please  mee  more  than  to 
beseech  mightily,  wisely,  and  wilfully,  to  do 
that  thing  that  I  will  have  done."  And  thus 
the  soul  by  prayer  is  accorded  with  God.  But 
when  our  courteous  Lord  of  his  special  grace 

172 


Suliana  o 

sheweth  himself  to  our  soul,  we  have  that  we 
desire :  and  then  we  see  not  for  the  time  what 
we  should  more  pray ;  but  all  our  intent,  with 
all  our  mights,  is  set  whole  into  the  beholding 
of  him.  And  this  is  an  high  unpereeiveable 
prayer,  as  to  my  sight;  for  all  the  cause 
wherefore  we  prayer  [pray]  is  to  be  oned  in 
to  the  sight  and  beholding  of  him,  to  whom 
we  pray  marvellously,  enjoying  with  reverent 
dreed,  and  so  great  sweetness  and  delight  in 
him,  that  we  can  pray  right  naught  but  as  he 
stirreth  us  for  the  time.  And  well  I  wot,  the 
more  the  soul  seeth  of  God,  the  more  she  de- 
sireth  him  by  grace ;  but  when  we  see  him  not 
so,  then  we  feel  we  need  and  cause  to  pray, 
for  failing  and  for  unableness  of  our  self,  to 
Jesu.  For  when  a  soul  is  tempted,  troubled, 
and  left  to  herself  by  her  unrest,  then  it  is 
time  to  pray,  to  make  her  self  supple  and 
buxom  to  God;  but  she  by  no  manner  of 
prayer  maketh  God  supple  to  her,  for  he  is 
ever  one  like  in  love. 

And  thus  I  saw,  that  what  time  we  see  need 
wherefore  we  pray,  then  our  Lord  God  fol- 
loweth  us,  helping  our  desire;  and  when  we 
of  his  special  grace  plainly  behold  him,  seeing 
none  of  other  needs,  then  we  follow  him.  And 
he  draweth  us  to  him  by  love ;  for  I  saw  and 
felt  that  his  marvellous  and  his  fulsome  good- 
ness fulfilleth  all  our  mights.  And  therewith 

173 


SDibotional  Classics 

I  saw  that  his  continual  working  in  all  man- 
ner of  things  is  done  so  godly,  so  wisely,  and 
so  mightily,  that  it  over-passeth  all  our  im- 
agining, and  all  that  we  can  mean  or  think. 
And  then  we  can  do  no  more  but  behold  him, 
and  enjoy  with  a  high  mighty  desire  to  be 
all  oned  into  him,  and  entend55  to  his  motion, 
and  enjoy  in  his  loving,  and  delight  in  his 
goodness.  And  thus  shall  we,  with  his  sweet 
grace,  in  our  own  meek  continual  prayer, 
come  into  him;  now  in  this  life,  by  many 
privy  touchings  of  sweet  ghostly  sights  and 
feelings,  measured  to  us  as  our  simplehead56 
may  bare  it — and  this  is  wrought,  and  shall 
be  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  long  till 
we  shall  die  in  longing  for  love — and  then 
shall  we  all  come  into  our  Lord,  our  self 
clearly  knowing  and  God  fulsomely  having: 
and  we  endlesly  be  all  hid  in  God,  verily  see- 
ing and  fulsomely  feeling ;  him  ghostly  hear- 
ing, and  him  delectably  smelling,  and  him 
sweetly  smelling :  and  there  shall  we  see  God 
face  to  face,  homely  and  fulsomely.57  The 
creature  which  is  made,  shall  see,  and  end- 
lesly behold  God  which  is  the  Maker ;  for  thus 
may  no  man  see  God  and  live  after ;  that  is  to 
say,  in  this  deadly  life:  but  when  he  of  his 
special  grace  will  shew  him  here,  he  strength- 

12  Attend.  M  Simplicity. 

67  That  is,  intimately  and  completely. 

174 


of 

eneth  the  creature  above  himself,  and  he  mea- 
sureth  the  shewing  after  his  own  will,  and  it 
is  profitable  for  the  time. 


Chapter 

And  our  kindly57*  substance  is  now  bless- 
edfully  in  God,  and  hath  been  sithens  it  was 
made,  and  shall  be  without  end.  But  our 
passing  living  that  we  have  here  in  our  sensu- 
ality knoweth  not  what  our  self  is,  but  in  our 
faith.  And  when  we  know  and  see  verily 
and  clearly  what  our  self  is,  then  shall  we 
verily  and  clearly  see  and  know  our  Lord  God 
in  fulhead  of  joy.  And  therefore  it  behoveth 
needs  to  be,  that  the  nearer  we  be  our  bliss, 
the  more  we  shall  long;  and  that  both  by 
kind57"  and  by  grace.  "We  may  have  know- 
ing of  our  self  in  this  life,  by  continual  help 
and  vertue  of  our  high  kind;57b  in  which 
knowing  we  may  encrease  and  wax  by  fur- 
thering and  speeding  of  mercy  and  grace. 
But  we  may  never  full  know  our  self  into 
[until]  the  last  point:58  in  which  point  this 
passing  life  and  all  manner  of  woe  and  paine 
shall  have  an  end.  And  therefore  it  longeth 
properly  to  us,  both  by  grace  and  by  kind,  to 

57(1  Natural.  87b  Nature. 

68  That  Is,  till  death — the  Latin  in  extremis. 

175 


£>ebotfonal 

long  and  desire  with  all  our  mights  to  knov* 
our  self.  In  which  full  knowing  we  shall 
verily  and  clearly  know  our  God  in  fulhead 
of  endless  joy.  And  yet  in  all  this  time,  fro 
the  beginning  to  the  end,  I  had  two  manner 
of  beholdings :  the  one  was  endless  continuant 
love;  with  sureness  of  keeping,  and  blissful 
salvation,  for  of  this  was  all  the  shewing. 
That  other,  was  the  common  teaching  of  Holy 
Church,  of  which  I  was  before  enformed  and 
grounded,  and  wilfully  having  in  use  and 
understanding.  And  the  beholding  of  this 
came  [went]  not  from  me ;  for  by  the  shewing 
I  was  not  stir  :  i,  nor  led  therefro  in  no  man- 
ner point.  I  had  therein  teaching  to 
love  it  and  like  it ;  whereby  I  might,  with  the 
help  of  our  Lord  and  his  grace,  increase  and 
rise  to  more  heavenly  knowing  and  higher 
loving.  And  thus,  in  all  this  beholding,  me- 
thought  it  behoved  needs  to  see  and  to  know 
that  we  be  sinners,  and  do  many  evils  that 
we  ought  to  leave,  and  leave  many  good  deeds 
undone  that  we  ought  to  do:  wherefore  we 
deserve  pain,  blame,  and  wrath.  And  not- 
withstanding all  this,  I  saw  verily  that  our 
Lord  was  never  wrath,  ne  never  shall:  for 
he  is  God,  he  is  good,  he  is  truth,  he  is  love, 
and  he  is  peace;  and  his  might,  his  wisdom, 
his  charity,  and  his  unity  [i.e.,  oneness  with 
the  soul,  see  below]  suffereth  him  not  to  be 

176 


Juliana  of 

wrath:  for  I  saw  truly  that  it  is  against  the 
property  of  his  might  to  be  wrath,  and 
against  the  property  of  his  wisdom,  and 
against  the  property  of  his  goodness.  God 
is  that  goodness  that  may  not  be  wrath,  for 
God  is  not  but  Goodness.  Our  soul  is  oned 
to  him,  unchangeable  Goodness:  and  between 
God  and  our  soul  is  neither  wrath  nor  for- 
giveness in  his  sight;  for  our  soul  is  so  ful- 
somely  oned  to  God  of  his  own  goodness,  that 
between  God  and  our  soul  may  be  right 
naught.  And  to  this  understanding  was  the 
soul  led  by  love  and  drawn  by  might  in  every 
shewing.  That  it  is  thus  our  good  Lord 
shewed,  and  how  it  is  thus  verily  of  his  great 
goodness,  and  that  he  will  we  desire  to  wit  ;59 
that  is  to  say,  as  it  longeth  to  his  creatures 
to  wit  it.  For  all  thing  that  the  simple  soul 
understood  God  will  that  it  be  shewed  and 
known.  For  those  things  that  he  will  have 
privy,  mightily  and  wisely  himself  hideth 
them  for  love ;  for  I  saw  in  the  same  shewing 
that  much  privity  is  hid,  which  may  never  be 
known  into  the  time  that  God  of  his  goodness 
hath  made  us  worthy  to  see  it.  And  therewith 
I  am  well  apaid,  abiding  our  Lords  will  in 
this  high  marvel.  And  now  I  yield  me  to  our 
mother  Holy  Church,  as  a  simple  child  oweth. 

»  Know. 

Ill— 12  177 


Chapter 

Two  points  belonging  to  our  soul  are  debt 
[due].  One  is,  that  we  reverently  marvel. 
That  other  is,  that  we  meekly  suffer  every 
enjoying60  in  God;  for  he  will  that  we  know 
that  we  shall  in  short  time  see  clearly  in  him- 
self all  that  we  desire.  And  notwithstanding 
all  this,  I  beheld  and  marvelled  greatly  what 
is  the  mercy  and  forgiveness  of  God.  For  by 
the  teaching  that  I  had  before,  I  understood 
that  the  mercy  of  God  shall  be  forgiveness  of 
his  wrath,  after  the  time  that  we  have  sinned : 
for  methought  that  to  a  soul  whose  meaning 
and  desire  is  to  love,  the  wrath  of  God  were 
harder  than  any  other  pain.  And  therefore 
I  took  [saw]  that  the  forgiveness  of  his  wrath 
should  be  one  of  the  principal  points  of  his 
mercy.  But  for  ought  that  I  might  behold 
and  desire,  I  could  not  see  this  point  in  all 
the  shewing.  But  how  I  saw  and  understood 
of  the  working  of  mercy  I  shall  say  some  deal, 
as  God  will  give  me  grace.  I  understood  thus ; 
man  is  changeable  in  this  life,  and  by  simple- 
ness  and  uncunning  falleth  into  sin:  he  is 
unmighty  and  unwise  of  himself ;  and  also  his 
will  is  over-laid.  In  this  time  he  is  in  tempest, 
and  in  sorrow,  and  in  woe;  and  the  cause  is 

80  Rejoicing. 

178 


Juliana  of 

blindness,  for  he  seeth  not  God ;  for  if  he  saw 
God  continually,  he  should  have  no  mis- 
chievous feeling,  ne  no  manner  stirring  nor 
sorrowing  that  serveth  to  sin.  Thus  saw  I 
and  felt  in  the  same  time;  and  methought 
that  the  sight  and  the  feeling  was  high,  and 
plentuous,  and  gracious,  in  regard  that  our 
common  feeling  is  in  this  life;  but  yet  me- 
thought it  was  but  low  and  small,  in  regard 
of  the  great  desire  that  the  soul  hath  to  see 
God :  for  I  felt  in  me  five  manner  of  workings, 
which  is  these;  enjoying,  mourning,  desire, 
dreed,61  and  true  hope.  Enjoying,  for  God 
gave  me  understanding,  and  knowing  that  it 
was  himself  that  I  saw;  mourning,  and  that 
was  for  failing ;  desire,  that  was  that  I  might 
see  him  for  ever  more  and  more ;  understand- 
ing and  knowing,  that  we  shall  never  have 
full  rest,  till  we  see  him  clearly  and  verily 
in  heaven.  Dreed61  was,  for  it  seemed  to  me 
in  all  that  time,  that  sight  should  fail,  and  I 
to  be  left  to  myself.  True  hope  was  in  the 
endless  love  that  I  saw,  that  I  should  be  kept 
by  his  mercy  and  brought  to  the  bliss.  And 
the  joying  in  his  sight,  with  this  true  hope 
of  his  merciful  keeping,  made  me  to  have 
feeling  and  comfort:  so  that  mourning  and 
dreed61  were  not  greatly  painful.  And  yet 
in  all  this,  I  beheld  in  the  shewing  of  God 

81  Fear,  dread,  apprehension. 
179 


that  this  manner  sight  of  him  may  not  be 
continuant  in  this  life ;  and  that,  for  his  own 
worship  and  for  increase  of  our  endless  joy. 
And  therefore  we  fail  oftentimes  of  the  sight 
of  him:  and  anon  we  fall  into  our  self,  and 
then  find  we  feeling  of  right  naught  but  the 
contrarious  that  is  in  our  self.  And  that,  of 
the  old  root  of  our  first  sin,  with  all  that  fol- 
loweth  of  our  own  continuance:  and  in  this 
we  be  travelled62  and  tempted  with  feeling 
of  sin  and  of  pain  in  many  diverse  manner, 
ghostly  and  bodily,  as  it  is  known  to  us  in 
this  life. 

Chapter  jForf^CEigljt 

But  our  good  Lord  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
is  endless  life  dwelling  in  our  soul,  full  truly 
keepeth  us,  and  worketh  therein  a  peace,  and 
bringeth  it  to  ease  by  grace,  and  maketh  it 
buxom,  and  accordeth  it  to  God.  And  this  is 
the  mercy  and  the  way  that  our  good  Lord 
continually  leadeth  us  in,  as  long  as  we  be  in 
this  life,  which  is  changeable:  for  I  saw  no 
wrath  but  on  mans  party,  and  that  forgiveth 
he  in  us :  for  wrath  is  not  else  but  a  f roward- 
ness  and  a  contrariousness  to  peace  and  love. 
And  either  it  cometh  of  failing  of  might,  or 
of  failing  of  wisdom,  or  of  failing  of  good- 
ness :  which  failing  is  not  of  God,  but  it  is  in 

88  Burdened. 

180 


Juliana  ot 

our  party;  for  we  by  sin  and  wretchedness 
have  in  us  a  wrath  and  a  continuant  con- 
trariousness  to  peace  and  to  love.  And  that 
shewed  he  full  oft  in  his  lovely  chear  of  ruth 
and  pity :  for  the  ground  of  mercy  is  in  love, 
and  the  working  of  mercy  is  our  keeping  in 
love :  and  this  was  shewed  in  such  a  manner, 
that  I  could  not  perceive  of  the  property  of 
mercy  otherwise  but  as  it  were  all  love  in 
love ;  that  is  to  say,  as  to  my  sight,  mercy  is 
a  sweet  gracious  working  in  love,  medled63 
with  plenteous  pitty;  for  mercy  worketh,  us 
keeping ;  and  mercy  worketh  turning  to  us  all 
thing  to  good:  mercy  for  love  suffereth  us  to 
fail  by  measure,  and  in  as  much  as  we  fail, 
in  so  much  we  fall ;  and  in  as  much  as  we  fall, 
in  so  much  we  die :  for  us  behooveth  needs  to 
die,  in  as  much  as  we  fail  sight  and  feeling  of 
God,  that  is  our  life.  Our  failing  is  dread- 
ful, our  falling  is  shameful,  and  our  dying  is 
sorrowful.  But  yet  in  all  this  the  sweet  eye 
of  pity  and  love  departeth  never  from  us,  ne 
the  working  of  mercy  ceaseth  not:  for  I  be- 
held the  property  of  mercy,  and  I  beheld  the 
property  of  grace,  which  have  two  manner 
of  working  in  one  love:  mercy  is  a  pitiful 
property,  which  longeth  to  mother-hood  in 
tender  love:  and  grace  is  a  worshipful 
property  which  longeth  to  royal  lordship  in 

«  Mingled. 

181 


SDibotional  Classics* 

the  same  love.  Mercy  worketh,  keeping, 
suffering,  quickening,  and  healing,  and  all  is 
of  tenderness  of  love :  and  grace  worketh  with 
mercy,  raising,  rewarding,  endlesly  over-pass- 
ing64 [all]  that  our  loving  and  our  travel  de- 
serveth,  spreading  abroad,  and  shewing  the 
high  plenteousness,  largeness  of  Gods  royal 
lordship  in  his  marvellous  courtesie.  And 
this  is  of  the  abundance  of  love;  for  grace 
worketh  our  dreadful  failing  into  plenteous 
and  endless  solace:  and  grace  worketh  our 
shameful  falling  into  high  worshipful  rising; 
and  grace  worketh  our  sorrowful  dying  into 
holy  blissful  life:  for  I  saw  full  truly  that 
ever  as  our  contrariousness  worketh  to  us 
here  in  earth  pain,  shame,  and  sorrow,  right 
so  on  the  contrariwise,  grace  worketh  to  us  in 
heaven  solace,  worship,  and  bliss;  and  over- 
passing64 so  far  forth,  that  when  we  come  up 
and  receive  that  sweet  reward  which  grace 
hath  wrought  to  us  there,  we  shall  thank  and 
bless  our  Lord  endlesly,  enjoying60  that  ever 
we  suffered  woe;  and  that  shall  be  for  a 
property  of  blessed  love  that  we  shall  know 
in  God,  which  we  might  never  have  known 
without  woe  going  before.  And  when  I  saw 
all  this,  me  behooved  needs  to  grant  that  the 
mercy  of  God  and  the  forgiveness  slacketh 
and  wasteth  our  wrath. 

w  Surpassing. 

182 


Juliana  of 


Cfjapttt 

For  it  was  an  high  marvel  to  the  soul,  which 
was  continuantly  shewed  in  all,  and  with 
great  diligence,  beholding  that  our  Lord  God 
aneynst  himself  may  not  forgive,  for  he  may 
not  be  wrath.  It  were  impossible.  For  this 
was  shewed,  that  our  life  is  all  grounded  and 
rooted  in  love,  and  without  love  we  may  not 
live.  And  therefore  to  the  soul,  that  of  his 
special  grace  seeth  so  far  forth  of  the  high 
marvellous  goodness  of  God  that  we  be  end- 
lesly  oned  to  him  in  love,  it  is  the  most  im- 
possible that  may  be,  that  God  should  be 
wrath ;  for  wrath  and  friendship  be  two  con- 
traries; for  he  that  wasteth  and  destroyeth 
our  wrath,  and  maketh  us  meek  and  mild,  it 
behooveth  us  needs  to  believe,  that  he  be  ever 
in  one  love,  meek,  and  mild:  which  is  con- 
trary to  wrath.  For  I  saw  full  truly  that 
where  our  Lord  appeareth,  peace  is  taken, 
and  wrath  hath  no  steede  :65  for  I  saw  no  man- 
ner of  wrath  in  God,  neither  for  short  time 
nor  for  long ;  for  truly  as  to  my  sight,  if  God 
might  be  wrath  a  while,  we  should  neither 
have  life,  ne  steede,  ne  being;  for  as  verily 
as  we  have  our  being  of  the  endless  might  of 
God,  and  of  the  endless  wisdom,  and  of  the 

K  Place,  existence. 

183 


endless  goodness,  also  verily  we  have  our 
keeping  in  the  endless  might  of  God,  in  the 
endless  wisdom,  and  in  the  endless  goodness. 
For  though  we  feel  in  us  wrath,  debate,  and 
strife,  yet  we  be  all  mercifully  beclosed  in 
the  mildhead66  of  God,  and  in  his  meekhead, 
in  his  benignity,  and  in  his  buxomness.  For 
I  saw  full  truly  that  all  our  endless  friend- 
ship, our  steed,  our  life,  and  our  being  is  in 
God;  for  that  same  endless  goodness  that 
keepeth  us  when  we  sin  that  we  perish  not — 
that  same  endless  goodness  continually  treat- 
eth  in  us  a  peace  against  our  wrath  and  our 
contrarious  falling,  and  maketh  us  to  see  our 
need  with  a  true  dread  mightily  to  seek  unto 
God  to  have  forgiveness,  with  a  gracious  de- 
sire of  our  salvation;  for  we  may  not  be 
blissfully  saved  till  we  be  verily  in  peace  and 
in  love,  for  that  is  our  salvation.  And  though 
we  be  wrath,  and  the  contrariousness  that  is 
in  us  be  now  in  tribulation,  disease,  and  woe, 
as  falling  into  our  blindness  and  our  pronity ; 
yet  be  we  sure  and  safe  by  the  merciful  keep- 
ing of  God  that  we  perish  not ;  but  we  be  not 
blissfully  safe  in  having  of  our  endless  joy  till 
we  be  all  in  peace  and  in  love ;  that  is  to  say, 
full  pleased  with  God,  and  with  all  his  works, 
and  with  all  his  dooms;  and  loving  and 
pleasable  with  our  selves,  and  with  our  even 

«  Mildness. 

184 


Juliana  of 

Christen,5  and  with  all  that  God  loveth,  as 
love  liketh.  And  this  doth  God's  goodness  in 
us.  Thus  saw  I  that  God  is  our  very  peace ; 
and  he  is  our  sure  keeper  when  we  be  our 
self  at  unpeace;  and  he  continually  worketh 
to  bring  us  into  endless  peace ;  and  thus  when 
by  the  working  of  mercy  and  grace  we  be 
made  meek  and  mild,  then  we  be  full  safe. 
Suddenly  is  the  soul  oned  to  God  when  she  is 
truly  peaced  in  herself;  for  in  him  is  found 
no  wrath.  And  thus  I  saw  when  we  be  all  in 
peace  and  in  love,  we  find  no  contrariousness 
in  no  manner  of  letting.27  And  that  con- 
trariousness which  is  now  in  us,  our  Lord 
God  of  his  goodness  maketh  it  to  us  full 
profitable;  for  contrariousness  is  cause  of  all 
our  tribulation  and  all  our  woe:  and  our 
Lord  Jesu  taketh  them,  and  sendeth  them  up 
to  heaven;  and  then  they  are  made  more 
sweet  and  delectable  than  heart  may  think  or 
tongue  can  tell.  And  when  we  come  thither, 
we  shall  find  them  ready  all  turned  into  very 
fairness  and  endless  worship.  Thus  is  God 
our  stedfast  ground,  and  shall  be  our  full 
bliss,  and  make  us  unchangeable,  as  he  is 
when  we  be  there. 


185 


2D*botional 


Chapter  jfffty 

And  in  this  deadly  life  mercy  and  forgive- 
ness is  our  way,  that  evermore  leadeth  us  to 
grace.  And  by  the  tempest  and  the  sorrow 
that  we  fall  in  on  our  party,  we  be  often 
dead  as  to  mans  doome  in  earth;  but  in  the 
sight  of  God  the  soul  that  shall  be  safe  was 
never  dead,  ne  never  shall  be.  But  yet  here 
I  wondred  and  marvelled  with  all  the  dili- 
gence of  my  soul  meaning  thus ;  ' '  Good  Lord, 
I  see  that  thou  art  the  very  truth,  and  I  know 
truly  that  we  sin  grievously  all  day,  and  be 
much  blameworthy:  and  I  may  neither  leave 
the  knowing  of  this  sooth,  nor  I  see  not  the 
shewing  to  us  no  manner  of  blame.  How  may 
this  be?  for  I  know  by  the  common  teaching 
of  Holy  Church,  and  by  mine  own  feeling, 
that  the  blame  of  our  sins  continually  hang- 
eth  upon  us  fro  the  first  man  into  the  time 
that  we  come  up  into  heaven."  Then  was 
this  my  marvel,  that  I  saw  our  Lord  God 
shewing  to  us  no  more  blame  than  if  we  were 
as  clean  and  as  holy  as  angels  be  in  heaven. 
And  between  these  two  contraries  my  reason 
was  greatly  travelled62  by  my  blindness,  and 
could  have  no  rest  for  dread  that  his  blessed 
presence  should  pass  from  my  sight,  and  I 
be  left  in  unknowing  how  he  behold  us  in 

186 


Juliana  of 

our  sin;  for  either  me  behooved  to  see  in 
God  that  sin  were  all  done  away,  or  else  me 
behooved  to  see  in  God  how  he  seeth  it; 
whereby  I  might  truly  know  how  it  longeth 
to  mee  to  see  sin,  and  the  manner  of  our 
blame.  My  longing  endured,  him  continually 
beholding;  and  yet  I  could  have  no  patience 
for  great  fear  and  perplexity,  thinking  if  I 
take  it  thus,  that  we  be  no  sinners  nor  no 
blame  worthy,  it  seemeth  as  I  should  erre  and 
fail  of  knowing  of  this  sooth.  And  if  it  be 
true  that  we  be  sinners  and  blame  worthy, 
good  Lord,  how  may  it  then  be  that  I  cannot 
see  this  truth  in  thee,  which  art  my  God,  my 
Maker,  in  whom  I  desire  to  see  all  truth? 
For  three  points  make  me  hardy67  to  ask  it. 
The  first  is,  for  it  is  so  low  a  thing,  for  if  it 
were  an  high,  I  should  be  adred.  The  second 
is,  that  it  is  so  common ;  for  if  it  were  special 
and  privy  also,  I  should  be  adred.  The  third 
is,  that  it  needeth  me  to  wit,59  as  me  thinketh, 
if  I  shall  live  here,  for  knowing  of  good  and 
evil,  whereby  I  may  by  reason  and  by  grace 
the  more  depart  them  asunder,  and  love  good- 
ness and  hate  evil,  as  Holy  Church  teacheth. 
I  cried  inwardly  with  all  my  might,  seeking 
unto  God  for  help;  meaning  thus,  "Ah  Lord 
Jesu,  King  of  bliss,  how  shall  I  be  eased?" 
Who  shall  tell  me,  and  teach  me  that  me 

«  Bold. 

187 


needeth  to  wit,  if  I  may  not  at  this  time  see 
it  in  thee? 


And  for  the  great  endless  love  that  God 
hath  to  all  mankind,  he  maketh  no  depart- 
ing in  love  between  the  blessed  soul  of  Christ, 
and  the  least  soul  that  shall  be  saved:  for  it 
is  full  easie  to  believe  and  trust  that  the 
dwelling  of  the  blessed  soul  of  Christ  is  full 
high  in  the  glorious  God-head.  And  truly 
as  I  understood  in  our  Lords  meaning ;  where 
the  blessed  soul  of  Christ  is,  there  is  the  sub- 
stance of  all  the  souls  that  shall  be  saved  by 
Christ.  Highly  owe  we  to  enjoy  that  God 
dwelleth  in  our  soul;  and  more  highly  we 
owe  to  enjoy,  that  our  soul  dwelleth  in  God. 
Our  soul  is  made  to  be  Gods  dwelling  place ; 
and  the  dwelling  of  our  soul  is  God,  which 
is  unmade.  A  high  understanding  it  is  in- 
wardly to  see  and  to  know  that  God,  which  is 
our  Maker,  dwelleth  in  our  soul.  And  a 
higher  understanding  it  is,  and  more  in- 
wardly, to  see  and  to  know  our  soul  that  is 
made  dwelleth  in  God  in  substance :  of  which 
substance  by  God  we  be  that  we  be.  And  I 
saw  no  difference  between  God  and  our  sub- 
stance, but  as  it  were  all  God.  And  yet  my 
understanding  took  that  our  substance  is  in 

188 


Juliana  of 

God;  that  is  to  say,  that  God  is  God,  and 
our  substance  is  a  creature  in  €rod.  For  the 
almighty  Truth  of  the  Trinity  is  our  Father : 
for  he  made  us,  and  keepeth  us  in  him:  and 
the  deep  wisdom  of  the  Trinity  is  our  mother, 
in  whom  we  be  closed :  and  the  high  goodness 
of  the  Trinity  is  our  Lord,  and  in  him  we  be 
closed,  and  he  in  us.  We  be  closed  in  the 
Father,  and  we  be  closed  in  the  Son,  and 
we  be  closed  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  the 
Father  is  beclosed  in  us;  the  Son  is  beclosed 
in  us ;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  beclosed  in  us : 
all  Might,  all  Wisdom,  and  all  Goodness,  one 
God,  one  Lord.  And  our  faith  is  a  vertue 
that  cometh  of  our  kind  substance  into  our 
sensual  soul  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  which 
vertue  all  our  vertues  come  into  us;  for 
without  that,  no  man  may  receive  vertues ;  for 
it  is  naught  else  but  a  right  understanding, 
with  true  belief  and  sure  trust  of  our  being, 
that  we  be  in  God,  and  he  in  us,  which  we 
see  not.  And  this  vertue  with  all  others  that 
God  hath  ordained  to  us  coming  therein, 
worketh  in  us  great  things ;  for  Christ  merci- 
fully is  working  in  us ;  and  we  graciously  ac- 
cording to  him  through  the  gift  and  the  ver- 
tue of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  working  maketh 
that  we  be  Christs  children,  and  christen  in 
lyving. 


189 


Dcbotional  Classics 


C&apter 

And  thus  Christ  is  our  way,  us  surely 
leading  in  his  laws.  And  Christ  in  his  body 
mightily  beareth  us  up  into  heaven.  For  I 
saw  that  Christ,  us  all  having  in  him  that 
shall  be  saved  by  him,  worshipfully  present- 
eth  his  Father  in  heaven  with  us ;  which  pres- 
ent full  thankfully  his  Father  receiveth,  and 
courteously  giveth  it  unto  his  Son  Jesu  Christ. 
Which  gift  and  working  is  joy  to  the  Father, 
and  bliss  to  the  Son,  and  liking  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  And  of  all  thing  that  to  us  longeth, 
it  is  most  liking  to  our  Lord  that  we  enjoy68  in 
this  joy,  which  is  in  the  blessed  Trinity,  of 
our  salvation.  And  notwithstanding  all  our 
feeling,  woe  or  weal,  God  will  we  under- 
stand and  believe,  that  we  be  more  verily  in 
heaven  than  in  earth.  Our  faith  cometh  of 
the  kind  love  of  our  soul,  and  of  the  clear 
light  of  our  reason,  and  of  the  stedfast  mind 
which  we  have  of  God  in  our  first  making. 
And  what  time  our  soul  is  inspired  in  our 
body,  in  which  we  be  made  sensual,  as  soon 
mercy  and  grace  begin  to  work;  having  of 
us  cure  and  keeping  with  pity  and  love.  In 
which  working  the  Holy  Ghost  formeth  in 
our  faith  hope,  that  we  shall  come  again  up 

68  Rejoice. 

190 


3!uliana  of 

above  to  our  substance  into  the  vertue  of 
Christ,  encreased  and  fulfilled  through  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Thus  I  understood  that  the 
sensuality  is  grounded  in  kind,  in  mercy,  and 
in  grace:  which  ground  ableth  us  to  receive 
gifts  that  lead  us  to  endless  life;  for  I  saw 
full  surely  that  our  substance  is  in  God.  And 
also  I  saw  that  in  our  sensuality  God  is; 
for  in  the  same  point  that  our  soul  is  made 
sensual,  in  the  same  point  is  the  city  of  God 
ordained  to  him  from  without  beginning.  In 
which  city  he  cometh,  and  never  shall  remove 
it ;  for  God  is  never  out  of  the  soul,  in  which 
he  shall  dwell  blessedly  without  end.  And 
this  was  said  in  the  shewing  where  it  saith, 
"The  place  that  Jesu  taketh  in  our  soul,  he 
shall  never  remove  it."  And  all  the  gifts 
that  God  may  give  to  the  creature  he  hath 
given  to  his  Son  Jesu  for  us.  Which  gifts  he 
onning  in  us  hath  beclosed  in  him,  into  the 
time  that  we  be  waxen  and  grown,  our  soul 
with  our  body,  and  our  body  with  our  soul. 
Either  of  them  take  help  of  other  till  we  be 
brought  up  into  stature,  as  kind69  worketh 
And  then  in  the  ground  of  kind,69  with  work- 
ing of  mercy,  the  Holy  Ghost  graciously  en- 
spireth  into  us  gifts  leading  to  endless  life. 
And  thus  was  my  understanding  led  of  God 
to  see  in  him,  and  to  wit,  to  understand,  and 

w  Nature. 

191 


SDtbotional 

to  know,  that  our  soul  is  a  made  Trinity,  like 
to  the  unmade  blessed  Trinity,  known  and 
loved  from  without  beginning;  and  in  the 
making  oned  to  the  Maker,  as  it  is  before  said. 
This  sight  was  full  sweet  and  marvellous  to 
behold,  peaceable  and  restful,  sure  and  de- 
lectable. And  for  the  worshipful  onning  that 
was  thus  made  of  God  between  the  soul  and 
the  body,  it  behooved  needs  to  be,  that  man- 
kind should  be  restored  fro  double  death: 
which  restoring  might  never  be  into70  the 
time  that  the  second  Person  in  the  Trinity 
had  taken  the  lower  party  of  mankind;  to 
whom  that  highest  was  oned  in  the  first  mak- 
ing. And  these  two  parties  were  in  Christ, 
the  higher  and  the  lower,  which  is  but  one 
soul :  the  higher  party  was  ever  in  peace  with 
God  in  full  joy  and  bliss:  the  lower  party, 
which  is  sensuality,  suffered  for  the  salva- 
tion of  mankind. 


Chapter 

And  thus  I  understood  that  what  man  or 
woman  wilfully  choseth  God  in  this  life  for 
love,  he  may  be  sure  that  he  is  loved  without 
end,  with  endless  love  that  worketh  in  him 
that  grace;  for  he  will  we  keep  this  trustily, 
that  we  be  as  sicker47  in  hope  of  the  bliss  of 

TO  Until. 

192 


Huliana  of 

heaven  whiles  we  are  here  as  we  shall  be  in 
surety  when  we  are  there.  And  ever  the  more 
liking  and  joy  that  we  take  in  this  sicker- 
ness,72  with  reverence  and  meekness,  the  bet- 
ter liketh  him.  For  as  it  was  shewed,  this 
reverence  that  I  mean,  is  a  holy,  courte- 
ous dread  of  our  Lord,  to  which  meekness  is 
knit ;  and  that  is,  that  a  creature  see  the  Lord 
marvellous  great,  and  her  self  marvellous 
litle;  for  these  vertues  are  had  endlesly  to- 
the  loved  of  God.  And  it  may  now  be  seen 
and  felt  in  measure  by  the  gracious  presence 
of  our  Lord,  when  it  is:  which  presence  in 
all  thing  is  most  desired ;  for  it  worketh  that 
marvellous  sickerness72  in  true  faith,  and 
siker  hope  by  greatness  of  charity  in  dread 
that  is  sweet  and  delectable.  It  is  Gods  will 
that  I  see  my  self  as  much  bound  to  him  in 
love  as  if  he  had  done  for  me  all  that  he 
hath  done.  And  thus  should  every  soul  think 
in  regard  of  his  love;  that  is  to  say,  the 
charity  of  God  maketh  in  us  such  a  unity 
that,  when  it  is  truly  seen,  no  man  can  part 
himself  from  other.  And  thus  ought  each 
soul  to  think  that  God  hath  done  for  him  all 
that  he  hath  done.  And  this  sheweth  he  to 
make  us  to  love  him,  and  liken  him,  and 
nothing  dread  but  him;  for  it  is  his  will  we 
know  that  all  the  might  of  our  enemies  is 

71  Security,  assurance. 
Ill— 13  193 


SDibotional  Classics 

locked  in  our  friends  hands.  And  therefore 
the  soul  that  knoweth  this  sickerly,  he  shall 
not  dread  but  him  that  she  loveth.  All  other 
dreads  she  set  them  among  passions,  and  bod- 
ily sickness,  and  imaginations.  And  therefore 
though  we  been  in  so  much  pain,  woe  and 
disease  that,  us  thinketh,  we  can  think  right 
naught  but  that  we  are  in  or  that  we  feel; 
as  soon  as  we  pass  it  lightly  over,  and  set 
we  it  at  naught.  And  why?  for  God  will  be 
known;  for  if  we  know  him,  and  love  him, 
and  reverently  dread  him,  we  shall  have 
patience  and  be  in  great  rest.  And  it  should 
been  great  liking  to  us  all  that  he  doth.  And 
this  shewed  our  Lord  in  these  words :  * '  What 
should  it  then  agrieve  thee  to  suffer  a  while, 
seeing  it  is  my  will  and  my  worship?" 


jFtom  fyt  S^arahic 

Be  thou,  0  Lord,  our  Protection,  who  art 
our  Redemption;  direct  our  minds  by  thy 
gracious  presence,  and  watch  over  our  paths 
with  guiding  love;  that,  among  the  snares 
which  lie  hidden  in  this  path  wherein  we  walk, 
we  may  so  pass  onward  with  hearts  fixt  on 
thee,  that  by  the  track  of  faith  we  may  come 
to  be  where  thou  wouldst  have  us.  AMEN. 

194 


SELECTIONS   FROM 

3  Creative  of  Ptaper 

BY 

CATHERINE  OF  SIENNA 


195 


Saint  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  born  at 
Sienna,  March  25,  1347;  died  at  Rome  April  29, 
1380.  In  early  life  she  entered  the  order  of  peni- 
tents of  St.  Dominic.  She  practised  rigid  asceti- 
cism, scourging  herself  thrice  daily,  according  to 
the  strictest  Dominican  custom.  She  was  noted 
for  her  deeds  of  mercy  to  the  poor  and  the  sick, 
and  also  gained  a  reputation  for  visions  and 
prophecy.  Many  of  her  letters  and  writings,  es- 
pecially her  "Dialogues,"  were  dictated  by  her  in 
trances.  Despite  her  death  to  the  world,  St. 
Catherine  felt  compelled,  during  the  closing  years 
of  her  life,  to  take  part  in  the  political  and  eccle- 
siastical aifairs  of  her  country.  Her  chief 
writings  are  373  letters  ("Le  Lettere  di  Santa 
Caterina  da  Siena,"  4  vols.,  Florence,  1860).  She 
also  wrote  twenty-six  prayers,  various  short 
prophetic  oracles,  and  a  dialog  between  herself 
and  God  the  Father,  dictated  in  a  trance  in  1378, 
under  the  title  "Libro  della  Divina  Dottrina"  (Eng- 
lish translation  by  A.  Thorold,  "Dialogue  of  the 
Seraphic  Virgin,  Catharine  of  Sienna,"  London, 
1896).  Her  complete  works  were  first  edited  by 
Aldus  at  Venice  in  1500,  but  the  best  of  the  older 
editions  is  that  of  G.  Gigli,  "L'Opere  della  Serafica 
Santa  Caterina  da  Siena"  (5  vols.,  Sienna,  1707- 
26). 


196 


When  the  soul  has  passed  through  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  crucified,  with  true  love  of 
virtue  and  hatred  of  vice,  and  has  arrived  at 
the  house  of  self-knowledge  and  entered 
therein,  she  remains,  with  her  door  barred, 
in  watching  and  constant  prayer,  separated 
entirely  from  the  consolations  of  the  world. 
Why  does  she  thus  shut  herself  in  ?  She  does 
so  from  fear,  knowing  her  own  imperfections, 
and  also  from  the  desire  which  she  has  of  ar- 
riving at  pure  and  generous  love.  And  be- 
cause she  sees  and  knows  well  that  in  no 
other  way  can  she  arrive  thereat,  she  waits 
with  a  lively  faith  for  my  arrival  through 
increase  of  grace  in  her.  How  is  a  lively 
faith  to  be  recognized?  By  perseverance  in 
virtue,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  soul  never 
turns  back  for  anything,  whatever  it  be,  nor 
rises  from  holy  prayer  for  any  reason  except 
(note  well)  for  obedience  or  charity's  sake. 
For  no  other  reason  ought  she  to  leave  off 
prayer,  for,  during  the  time  ordained  for 
prayer,  the  devil  is  wont  to  arrive  in  the  soul, 

By  arrangement  with  Kegan  Paul,  Trench,  Triibner  & 
Co. 

197 


&>ebotional  Classics* 

causing  much  more  conflict  and  trouble  than 
when  the  soul  is  not  occupied  in  prayer.  This 
he  does  in  order  that  holy  prayer  may  become 
tedious  to  the  soul,  tempting  her  often  with 
these  words  :  '  '  This  prayer  avails  thee  nothing, 
for  thou  needest  attend  to  nothing  except  thy 
vocal  prayers."  He  acts  thus  in  order  that, 
becoming  wearied  and  confused  in  mind,  she 
may  abandon  the  exercise  of  prayer,  which  is 
a  weapon  with  which  the  soul  can  defend  her- 
self from  every  adversary,  if  grasped  with 
the  hand  of  love,  by  the  arm  of  free  choice  in 
the  light  of  the  holy  faith. 


&ometf)mff  Concerning 
tfic  Sacrament  of  tfje  23ob£  of  Gfjrist, 
t&e  Complete  SDoctrfne  3£  C5iben;  anto 
$?oto  t|e  feiotil  proceed  from  $ocal 
to  Cental  prater,  anfc  a  Pteion  30  H&& 
lateb  d£l5ic$  ^te  SDebout  feoul  €>ttce 


Know,  dearest  daughter,  how  by  humble, 
continual,  and  faithful  prayer  the  soul  ac- 
quires, with  time  and  perseverance,  every 
virtue.  Wherefore  should  she  persevere  and 
never  abandon  prayer,  either  through  the 
illusion  of  the  devil  or  her  own  fragility,  that 
is  to  say,  either  on  account  of  any  thought  or 

198 


of 

movement  coming  from  her  own  body  or  of 
the  words  of  any  creature.  The  devil  often 
places  himself  upon  the  tongues  of  creatures, 
causing  them  to  chatter  nonsensically,  with 
the  purpose  of  preventing  the  prayer  of  the 
soul.  All  of  this  she  should  pass  by,  by  means 
of  the  virtue  of  perseverance.  Oh,  how  sweet 
and  pleasant  to  that  soul  and  to  me  is  holy 
prayer,  made  in  the  house  of  knowledge  of 
self  and  of  me,  opening  the  eye  of  the  intel- 
lect to  the  light  of  faith  and  the  affections 
to  the  abundance  of  my  charity,  which  was 
made  visible  to  you  through  my  visible  only- 
begotten  Son,  who  showed  it  to  you  with  his 
blood!  Which  blood  inebriates  the  soul  and 
clothes  her  with  the  fire  of  divine  charity, 
giving  her  the  food  of  the  sacrament  (which 
is  placed  in  the  tavern  of  the  mystical  body 
of  the  Holy  Church),  that  is  to  say,  the  food 
of  the  body  and  blood  of  my  Son,  wholly  God 
and  wholly  man,  administered  to  you  by  the 
hand  of  my  vicar,  who  holds  the  key  of  the 
blood.  This  is  that  tavern,  which  I  men- 
tioned to  thee,  standing  on  the  bridge,1  to 
provide  food  and  comfort  for  the  travelers 
and  the  pilgrims  who  pass  by  the  way  of  the 

1  In  her  "Treatise  of  Discretion"  Catherine  represents 
Christ  under  the  figure  of  a  bridge  which  mends  the 
breach  in  the  road  to  heaven,  this  breach  being  made  by 
"the  disobedience  of  Adam."  On  the  bridge  is  a  "hos- 
telry" ("tavern"),  which  keeps  and  ministers  the  Bread 
of  Life. 

199 


Sttbotumal  Classics 

doctrine  of  my  truth,  lest  they  should  faint 
through  weakness.  This  food  strengthens 
little  or  much,  according  to  the  desire  of  the 
recipient,  whether  he  receives  sacramentally 
or  virtually.  He  receives  sacramentally  when 
he  actually  communicates  with  the  blessed 
sacrament.  He  receives  virtually  when  he 
communicates,  both  by  desire  of  communion 
and  by  contemplation  of  the  blood  of  Christ 
crucified,  communicating  as  it  were  sacra- 
mentally, with  the  affection  of  love,  which  is 
to  be  tasted  in  the  blood  which,  as  the  soul 
sees,  was  shed  through  love.  On  seeing  this 
the  soul  becomes  inebriated,  and  blazes  with 
holy  desire  and  satisfies  herself,  becoming 
full  of  love  for  me  and  for  her  neighbor. 
Where  can  this  be  acquired  ?  In  the  house  of 
self-knowledge  with  holy  prayer,  where  im- 
perfections are  lost,  even  as  Peter  and  the 
disciples,  while  they  remained  in  watching 
and  prayer,  lost  their  imperfection  and  ac- 
quired perfection.  By  what  means  is  this 
acquired?  By  perseverance  seasoned  with 
the  most  holy  faith. 

But  do  not  think  that  the  soul  receives  such 
ardor  and  nourishment  from  prayer  if  she 
pray  only  vocally,  as  do  many  souls  whose 
prayers  are  rather  words  than  love.  Such 
as  these  give  heed  to  nothing  except  to  com- 
pleting psalms  and  saying  many  paternosters. 

200 


And  when  they  have  once  completed  their 
appointed  tale,  they  do  not  appear  to  think 
of  anything  further,  but  seem  to  place  devout 
attention  and  love  in  merely  vocal  recitation, 
which  the  soul  is  not  required  to  do:  for  in 
doing  only  this  she  bears  but  little  fruit,  which 
pleases  me  but  little.  But  if  thou  askest  me 
whether  the  soul  should  abandon  vocal  prayer, 
since  it  does  not  seem  to  all  that  they  are 
called  to  mental  prayer,  I  should  reply  "No." 
The  soul  should  advance  by  degrees,  and  I 
know  well  that  just  as  the  soul  is  at  first  im- 
perfect and  afterward  perfect,  so  also  is  it 
with  her  prayer.  She  should  nevertheless 
continue  in  vocal  prayer  while  she  is  yet  im- 
perfect, so  as  not  to  fall  into  idleness.  But 
she  should  not  say  her  vocal  prayers  without 
joining  them  to  mental  prayer;  that  is  to 
say,  while  she  is  reciting  she  should  endeavor 
to  elevate  her  mind  in  my  love  with  the  con- 
sideration of  her  own  defects  and  of  the  blood 
of  my  only-begotten  Son,  wherein  she  finds 
the  breadth  of  my  charity  and  the  remission 
of  her  sins.  And  this  she  should  do  so  that 
self-knowledge  and  the  consideration  of  her 
own  defects  should  make  her  recognize  my 
goodness  in  herself,  and  continue  her  exer- 
cises with  true  humility.  I  do  not  wish  de- 
fects to  be  considered  in  particular,  but  in 
general,  so  that  the  mind  may  not  be  con- 

201 


SDibotional  Classics 

laminated  by  the  remembrance  of  particular 
and  hideous  sins.  But,  as  I  said,  I  do  not 
wish  the  soul  to  consider  her  sins,  either  in 
general  or  in  particular,  without  also  remem- 
bering the  blood  and  the  broadness  of  my 
mercy,  for  fear  that  otherwise  she  should  be 
brought  to  confusion.  And  together  with 
confusion  would  come  the  devil,  who  has 
caused  it,  under  color  of  contrition  and  dis- 
pleasure of  sin,  and  so  she  would  arrive  at 
eternal  damnation,  not  only  on  account  of 
her  confusion,  but  also  through  the  despair 
which  would  come  to  her  because  she  did 
not  seize  the  arm  of  my  mercy.  This  is  one 
of  the  subtle  devices  with  which  the  devil 
deludes  my  servants;  and,  in  order  to  escape 
from  his  deceit  and  to  be  pleasing  to  me,  you 
must  enlarge  your  hearts  and  affections  in 
my  boundless  mercy,  with  true  humility. 
Thou  knowest  that  the  pride  of  the  devil  can 
not  resist  the  humble  mind,  nor  can  any  con- 
fusion of  spirit  be  greater  than  the  broadness 
of  my  good  mercy,  if  the  soul  will  only  truly 
hope  therein.  "Wherefore  it  was,  if  thou  re- 
member rightly,  that  once,  when  the  devil 
wished  to  overthrow  thee  by  confusion,  wish- 
ing to  prove  to  thee  that  thy  life  had  been 
deluded  and  that  thou  hadst  not  followed  my 
will,  thou  didst  that  which  was  thy  duty, 
which  my  goodness  (which  is  never  withheld 

202 


Catherine  ot 

from  him  who  will  receive  it)  gave  thee 
strength  to  do;  that  is,  thou  didst  rise,  hum- 
bly trusting  in  my  mercy  and  saying:  "I 
confess  to  my  Creator  that  my  life  has  indeed 
been  passed  in  darkness,  but  I  will  hide  my- 
self in  the  wounds  of  Christ  crucified  and  bathe 
myself  in  his  blood,  and  so  shall  my  iniquities 
be  consumed,  and  with  desire  will  I  rejoice  in 
my  Creator."  Thou  rememberest  that  then 
the  devil  fled  and,  turning  round  to  the  op- 
posite side,  he  endeavored  to  inflate  thee  with 
pride,  saying :  ' '  Thou  art  perfect  and  pleasing 
to  God,  and  there  is  no  more  need  for  thee  to 
afflict  thyself  or  to  lament  thy. sins."  And 
once  more  I  gave  thee  the  light  to  see  thy 
true  path,  namely,  humiliation  of  thyself,  and 
thou  didst  answer  the  devil  with  these  words : 
"Wretch  that  I  am,  John  the  Baptist  never 
sinned  and  was  sanctified  in  his  mother's 
womb.  And  I  have  committed  so  many  sins, 
and  have  hardly  begun  to  know  them  with 
grief  and  true  contrition,  seeing  who  God  is 
who  is  offended  by  me,  and  who  I  am  who 
offend  him."  Then  the  devil,  not  being  able 
to  resist  thy  humble  hope  in  my  goodness, 
said  to  thee:  "Cursed  that  thou  art,  for  I 
can  find  no  way  to  take  thee.  If  I  put  thee 
down  through  confusion,  thou  risest  to  heaven 
on  the  wings  of  mercy;  and  if  I  raise  thee 
on  high,  thou  humblest  thyself  down  to  hell ; 

203 


£?cbotional 

and  when  I  go  into  hell  thou  persecutest  me, 
so  that  I  will  return  to  thee  no  more,  because 
thou  strikest  me  with  the  stick  of  charity." 
The  soul,  therefore,  should  season  the  knowl- 
edge of  herself  with  the  knowledge  of  my 
goodness,  and  then  vocal  prayer  will  be  of 
use  to  the  soul  who  makes  it  and  pleasing  to 
me,  and  she  will  arrive,  from  the  vocal  im- 
perfect prayer  exercised  with  perseverance, 
at  perfect  mental  prayer;  but  if  she  simply 
aims  at  completing  her  tale  and  for  vocal 
abandons  mental  prayer,  she  will  never  arrive 
at  it.  Sometimes  the  soul  will  be  so  ignorant 
that,  having  resolved  to  say  so  many  prayers 
vocally,  and  I  visiting  her  mind  sometimes  in 
one  way  and  sometimes  in  another — in  a  flash 
of  self-knowledge  or  of  contrition  for  sin, 
sometimes  in  the  broadness  of  my  charity, 
and  sometimes  by  placing  before  her  mind 
in  diverse  ways,  according  to  my  pleasure 
and  the  desire  of  the  soul,  the  presence  of  my 
truth — she  (the  soul),  in  order  to  complete 
her  tale,  will  abandon  my  visitation  that 
she  feels,  as  it  were,  by  conscience, 
rather  than  abandon  that  which  she  had 
begun.  She  should  not  do  so,  for  in  so  doing 
she  yields  to  a  deception  of  the  devil.  The 
moment  she  feels  her  mind  disposed  by  my 
visitation  in  the  many  ways  I  have  told  thee, 
she  should  abandon  vocal  prayer;  then,  my 

204 


Catherine  of  Vienna 

visitation  past,  if  there  be  time  she  can  re- 
sume the  vocal  prayers  which  she  had  re- 
solved to  say,  but  if  she  has  not  time  to  com- 
plete them,  she  ought  not  on  that  account  to 
be  troubled  or  suffer  annoyance  and  confusion 
of  mind — of  course  provided  that  it  were  not 
the  divine  office  which  clerics  and  religious  are 
bound  and  obliged  to  say  under  penalty  of 
offending  me,  for  they  must  until  death  say 
their  office.  But  if  they,  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed for  saying  it,  should  feel  their  minds 
drawn  and  raised  by  desire,  they  should  so 
arrange  as  to  say  it  before  or  after  my  visi- 
tation, so  that  the  debt  of  rendering  the 
office  be  not  omitted.  But  in  any  other  case, 
vocal  prayer  should  be  immediately  aban- 
doned for  the  said  cause.  Vocal  prayer,  made 
in  the  way  that  I  have  told  thee,  will  enable 
the  soul  to  arrive  at  perfection,  and  there- 
fore she  should  not  abandon  it,  but  use  it  in 
the  way  that  I  have  told  thee. 

And  so,  with  exercise  in  perseverance,  she 
will  taste  prayer  in  truth,  and  the  food  of 
the  blood  of  my  only-begotten  Son,  and  there- 
fore I  told  thee  that  some  communicated  vir- 
tually with  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
altho  not  sacramentally ;  that  is,  they  com- 
municate in  the  affection  of  charity,  which 
they  taste  by  means  of  holy  prayer,  little  or 
much  according  to  the  affection  with  which 

205 


SDebotional 

they  pray.  They  who  proceed  with  little 
prudence  and  without  method  taste  little, 
and  they  who  proceed  with  much  taste  much. 
For  the  more  the  soul  tried  to  loosen  her  af- 
fection from  herself  and  fasten  it  in  me  with 
the  light  of  the  intellect,  the  more  she  knows ; 
and  the  more  she  knows,  the  more  she  loves, 
and  loving  much  she  tastes  much.  Thou 
seest  then,  that  perfect  prayer  is  not  attained 
to  through  many  words,  but  through  affection 
of  desire,  the  soul  raising  herself  to  me  with 
knowledge  of  herself  and  of  my  mercy,  sea- 
soned the  one  with  the  other.  Thus  she  will 
exercise  together  mental  and  vocal  prayer, 
for  even  as  the  active  and  contemplative  life 
is  one,  so  are  they.  Altho  vocal  or  mental 
prayer  can  be  understood  in  many  and  di- 
verse ways — for  I  have  told  thee  that  a  holy 
desire  is  a  continual  prayer  in  this  sense,  that 
a  good  and  holy  will  disposes  itself  with  de- 
sire to  the  occasion  actually  appointed  for 
prayer  in  addition  to  the  continual  prayer  of 
holy  desire;  wherefore  vocal  prayer  will  be 
made  at  the  appointed  time  by  the  soul  who 
remains  firm  in  a  habitual  holy  will,  and 
will  sometimes  be  continued  beyond  the 
appointed  time,  according  as  charity  com- 
mands for  the  salvation  of  the  neighbor,  if 
the  soul  see  him  to  be  in  need,  and  also  her 
own  necessities  according  to  the  state  in  which 

206 


Catherine  ot  fetfrnna 

I  have  placed  her.  Each  one,  according  to 
his  condition,  ought  to  exert  himself  for  the 
salvation  of  souls,  for  this  exercise  lies  at  the 
root  of  a  holy  will,  and  whatever  he  may 
contribute,  by  words  or  deeds,  toward  the 
salvation  of  his  neighbor  is  virtually  a  prayer, 
altho  it  does  not  replace  a  prayer  which 
one  should  make  oneself  at  the  appointed 
season,  as  my  glorious  standard-bearer  Paul 
said  in  the  words,  "He  who  ceases  not  to 
work  ceases  not  to  pray."  It  was  for  this 
reason  that  I  told  thee  that  prayer  was  made 
in  many  ways ;  that  is,  actual  prayer  may  be 
united  with  mental  prayer  if  made  with  the 
affection  of  charity,  which  charity  is  itself 
continual  prayer.  I  have  now  told  thee  how 
mental  prayer  is  reached  by  exercises  and 
perseverance,  and  by  leaving  vocal  prayer 
for  mental  when  I  visit  the  soul.  I  have  also 
spoken  to  thee  of  common  prayer,  that  is,  of 
vocal  prayer  in  general,  made  outside  of 
ordained  times  and  of  the  prayers  of  good- 
will, and  how  every  exercise,  whether  per- 
formed in  oneself  or  in  one's  neighbor  with 
good-will,  is  prayer.  The  enclosed  soul  should 
therefore  spur  herself  on  with  prayer,  and 
when  she  has  arrived  at  friendly  and  filial 
love  she  does  so.  Unless  the  soul  keep  to  this 
path,  she  will  always  remain  tepid  and  im- 
perfect, and  will  love  me  and  her  neighbor 

207 


JDrbotional  Classics 

only  in  proportion  to  the  pleasure  which  she 
finds  in  my  service. 


Of  tfir  a?rtfjot>  By  &3I)ic!)  tljc 
rateg  ^etgelf  from  3mperfect  3l0be,  anb 
to  perfect  £obe,  ^rienbty  an& 


Hitherto  I  have  shown  thee  in  many  ways 
how  the  soul  raises  herself  from  imperfection 
and  attains  to  perfection,  which  she  does  after 
she  has  attained  to  friendly  and  filial  love. 
I  tell  thee  that  she  arrives  at  perfect  love  by 
means  of  perseverance,  barring  herself  into 
the  house  of  self-knowledge,  which  knowledge 
of  self  requires  to  be  seasoned  with  knowl- 
edge of  me,  lest  it  bring  the  soul  to  confusion  ; 
for  it  would  cause  the  soul  to  hate  her  own 
sensitive  pleasure  and  the  delight  of  her  own 
consolations.  But  from  this  hatred,  founded 
in  humility,  she  "will  draw  patience,  with 
which  she  will  become  strong  against  the  at- 
tacks of  the  devil,  against  the  persecutions 
of  man,  and  toward  me,  when  for  her  good 
I  withdraw  delight  from  her  mind.  And  if 
her  sensuality,  through  malevolence,  should 
lift  its  head  against  reason,  the  judgment  of 
conscience  should  rise  against  it,  and,  with 
hatred  of  it,  hold  out  reason  against  it,  not 

208 


Catherine  of  Vienna 


V.  3 


Catgerini  of  &irnna 

allowing  such  evil  emotions  to  get  by  it. 
Tho  sometimes  the  soul  who  lives  in  holy 
hatred  corrects  and  reproves  herself  not  only 
for  those  things  that  are  against  reason,  but 
also  for  things  that  in  reality  come  from  me, 
which  is  what  my  sweet  servant  Gregory 
meant  when  he  said  that  a  holy  and  pure  con- 
science made  sin  where  there  was  no  sin,  that 
is,  that  through  purity  of  conscience  it  saw 
sin  where  there  was  no  sin. 

Now  the  soul  who  wishes  to  rise  above  im- 
perfection should  await  my  providence  in 
the  house  of  self-knowledge  with  the  light  of 
faith,  as  did  the  disciples,  who  remained  in 
the  house  in  perseverance  and  in  watching 
and  in  humble  and  continual  prayer,  await- 
ing the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  She 
should  remain  fasting  and  watching,  the  eye 
of  her  intellect  fastened  on  the  doctrine  of 
my  truth,  and  she  will  become  humble  be- 
cause she  will  know  herself  in  humble  and 
continual  prayer  and  holy  and  true  desire. 


t  feoul 
i?ag  flrrfbefc  at  ^ettttt 

It  now  remains  to  be  told  thee  how  it  can 
be  seen  that  souls  have  arrived  at  perfect 
love.  This  is  seen  by  the  same  sign  that  was 

III— 14  209 


Classirsf 

given  to  the  holy  disciples  after  they  had  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit,  when  they  came  forth 
from  the  house  and  fearlessly  announced  the 
doctrine  of  my  Word,  my  only-begotten  Son, 
not  fearing  pain  but  rather  glorying 
therein.  They  did  not  mind  going  before  the 
tyrants  of  the  world  to  announce  to  them  the 
truth,  for  the  glory  and  praise  of  my  name. 
So  the  soul  who  has  awaited  me  in  self-knowl- 
edge, as  I  h*ave  told  thee,  receives  me,  on  my 
return  to  her,  with  the  fire  of  charity,  in 
which  charity,  while  still  remaining  in  the 
house  with  perseverance,  she  conceives  the 
virtues  by  affection  of  love,  participating  in 
my  power;  with  which  power  and  virtues 
she  overrules  and  conquers  her  own  sensitive 
passions,  and  through  which  charity  she  par- 
ticipates in  the  wisdom  of  my  Son,  in  which 
she  sees  and  knows,  with  the  eye  of  her  intel- 
lect, my  truth  and  the  deceptions  of  spiritual 
self-love,  that  is,  the  imperfect  love  of  her 
own  consolations  .  .  .  and  she  knows  also  the 
malice  and  deceit  of  the  devil,  which  he  prac- 
tises on  those  souls  who  are  bound  by  that 
imperfect  love.  She  therefore  arises,  with 
hatred  of  that  imperfection  and  with  love 
of  perfection,  and,  through  this  charity  which 
is  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  she  participates  in  his 
will,  fortifying  her  own  to  be  willing  to  suffer 
pain,  and,  coming  out  of  the  house  through 

210 


Catherine  ot  Vienna 

my  name,  she  brings  forth  the  virtues  on  her 
neighbor.  Not  that  by  coming  out  to  bring 
forth  the  virtues  I  mean  that  she  issues  out 
of  the  house  of  self-knowledge,  but  that  in 
the  time  of  the  neighbor's  necessity  she  loses 
that  fear  of  being  deprived  of  her  own  con- 
solations, and  so  issues  forth  to  give  birth  to 
those  virtues  which  she  has  conceived  through 
affection  of  love.  The  souls  who  have  thus 
come  forth  have  reached  the  fourth  state; 
that  is,  from  the  third  state,  which  is  a  per- 
fect state  in  which  they  taste  charity  and  give 
birth  to  it  on  their  neighbors,  they  have  ar- 
rived at  the  fourth  state,  which  is  one  of  per- 
fect union  with  me.  The  two  last-mentioned 
states  are  united ;  that  is  to  say,  one  can  not 
be  without  the  other,  for  there  can  not  be  love 
of  me  without  love  of  the  neighbor,  nor  love 
of  the  neighbor  without  love  of  me. 


211 


SDebotional 


CCJf)o  &re  Smperfect  SDegire  to 
jpolloto  t&e  jFat&er  Sllone,  nut  <&&e£ 
&re  perfect  $De0ire  to  f  olloto  tlje 

of  a  Pioion,  tllfiicij  'CtjiG  l?olg  feoul 
Concerning  SDiberge  Baptigmg, 
ant)  of  9^  an??  Ot^er  Beautiful  anto 
ful 


As  I  have  told  thee,  these  latter  have  is- 
sued forth  from  the  house,  which  is  a  sign 
that  they  have  arisen  from  imperfection  and 
arrived  at  perfection.  Open  the  eye  of  thy 
intellect  and  see  them  running  by  the  bridge 
of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified,  which  was 
their  rule,  way,  and  doctrine.  They  place 
none  other  before  the  eye  of  their  intellect 
than  Christ  crucified,  not  the  Father,  as  they 
do  who  are  in  imperfect  love  and  do  not  wish 
to  suffer  pain,  but  only  to  have  the  delight 
which  they  find  in  me.  But  they,  as  if 
drunken  with  love  and  burning  with  it,  have 
gathered  together  and  ascended  the  three 
steps  which  I  figured  to  thee  as  the  three 
powers  of  the  soul,  and  also  the  three  actual 
steps,  figured  to  thee  as  in  the  body  of  my 
only  Son,  Christ  crucified,  by  which  steps 
the  soul,  as  I  told  thee,  ascended,  first  climb- 
ing to  the  feet  with  the  feet  of  the  soul's 

212 


Catherine  of 

affection,  from  thence  arriving  at  the  side, 
where  she  found  the  secret  of  the  heart  and 
knew  the  baptism  of  water,  which  has  virtue 
through  the  blood,  and  where  I  dispose  the 
soul  to  receive  grace,  uniting  and  kneading 
her  together  in  the  blood.2  Where  did  the 
soul  know  of  this  her  dignity  in  being  kneaded 
and  united  with  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  re- 
ceiving the  grace  in  holy  baptism  in  virtue 
of  the  blood?  In  the  side,  where  she  knew 
the  fire  of  divine  charity,  and  so,  if  thou 
remember  well  my  truth  manifested  to  thee, 
when  thou  askedst,  saying:  "Sweet  and  im- 
maculate Lamb,  thou  wert  dead  when  thy 
side  was  opened.  Why  then  didst  thou  want 
to  be  struck  and  have  thy  heart  divided?" 
And  he  replied  to  thee,  telling  thee  that  there 
was  occasion  enough  for  it ;  but  the  principal 
part  of  what  he  said  I  will  tell  thee.  He  said : 
Because  my  desire  toward  the  human  gen- 
eration was  ended,  and  I  had  finished  the 
actual  work  of  bearing  pain  and  torment,  and 
yet  I  had  not  been  able  to  show  by  finite 
things,  because  my  love  was  infinite,  how 
much  more  love  I  had,  I  wished  thee  to  see 
the  secret  of  the  heart,  showing  it  to  thee 
open,  so  that  thou  mightest  see  how  much 
more  I  loved  than  I  could  show  thee  by  finite 

8  The  bridge  to  heaven   (see  Note  1,  p.  199)  Is  repre- 
sented as  haying  three  steps. 

213 


SDtfcotional 

pain.  I  poured  from  it  blood  and  water  to 
show  thee  the  baptism  of  water,  which  is 
received  in  virtue  of  .the  blood.  I  also  showed 
the  baptism  of  love  in  two  ways,  first  in  those 
who  are  baptized  in  their  blood  shed  for  me, 
which  has  virtue  through  my  blood,  even  if 
they  have  not  been  able  to  have  holy  bap- 
tism; and  also  in  those  who  are  baptized  in 
fire,  not  being  able  to  have  holy  baptism,  but 
desiring  it  with  the  affection  of  love.  There 
is  no  baptism  of  fire  without  the  blood,  be- 
cause the  blood  is  steeped  in  and  kneaded  with 
the  fire  of  divine  charity,  because  through  love 
was  it  shed.  There  is  yet  another  way  by 
which  the  soul  receives  the  baptism  of  blood, 
speaking,  as  it  were,  under  a  figure,  and  this 
way  the  divine  charity  provided,  knowing 
the  infirmity  and  fragility  of  man  through 
which  he  offends,  not  that  he  is  obliged 
through  his  fragility  and  infirmity  to  commit 
sin  unless  he  wish  to  do  so ;  but  falling,  as  he 
will,  into  the  guilt  of  mortal  sin,  by  which 
he  loses  the  grace  which  he  drew  from  holy 
baptism  in  virtue  of  the  blood,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  leave  a  continual  baptism  of  blood. 
This  the  divine  charity  provided  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  holy  confession,  the  soul  receiving  the 
baptism  of  blood  with  contrition  of  heart,  con- 
fessing, when  able,  to  my  ministers,  who  hold 
the  keys  of  the  blood,  sprinkling  it  in  absolu- 

214 


Catherine  of 

tion  upon  the  face  of  the  soul.  But,  if  the 
soul  be  unable  to  confess,  contrition  of  heart 
is  sufficient  for  this  baptism,  the  hand  of  my 
clemency  giving  you  the  fruit  of  this  pre- 
cious blood.  But  if  you  are  able  to  confess, 
I  wish  you  to  do  so,  and  if  you  are  able  to 
and  do  not,  you  will  be  deprived  of  the  fruit 
of  the  blood.  It  is  true  that,  in  the  last 
extremity,  a  man,  desiring  to  confess  and  not 
being  able  to,  will  receive  the  fruit  of  this 
baptism  of  which  I  have  been  speaking.  But 
let  no  one  be  so  mad  as  so  to  arrange  his 
deeds  that,  in  the  hope  of  receiving  it,  he  puts 
off  confessing  until  the  last  extremity  of 
death,  when  he  may  not  be  able  to  do  so.  In 
which  case  it  is  not  at  all  certain  that  I  shall 
not  say  to  him  in  my  divine  justice:  "Thou 
didst  not  remember  me  in  the  time  of  thy 
life  when  thou  couldest,  now  will  I  not  remem- 
ber thee  in  thy  death." 

Thou  seest  then  that  these  baptisms,  which 
you  should  all  receive  until  the  last  moment, 
are  continual;  and  tho  my  works,  that  is 
the  pains  of  the  cross,  were  finite,  the  fruit 
of  them  which  you  receive  in  baptism  through 
me  are  infinite  This  is  in  virtue  of  the  in- 
finite divine  nature,  united  with  the  finite 
human  nature,  which  human  nature  endures 
pain  in  me,  the  Word,  clothed  with  your 
humanity.  But  because  the  one  nature 

215 


2Dibotional  Classics 

is  steeped  in  and  united  with  the  other, 
the  eternal  Deity  drew  to  himself  the  pain 
which  I  suffered  with  so  much  fire  and  love. 
And  therefore  can  this  operation  be  called 
infinite,  not  that  my  pain,  neither  the  actuality 
of  the  body,  be  infinite,  nor  the  pain  of  the 
desire  that  I  had  to  complete  your  redemp- 
tion, because  it  was  terminated  and  finished 
on  the  cross,  when  the  soul  was  separated 
from  the  body ;  but  the  fruit  which  came  out 
of  the  pain  and  desire  for  your  salvation  is 
infinite,  and  therefore  you  receive  it  infi- 
nitely. Had  it  not  been  infinite,  the  whole 
human  generation  could  not  have  been  re- 
stored to  grace,  neither  the  past,  the  present, 
nor  the  future.  This  I  manifested  in  the 
opening  of  my  side,  where  is  found  the  secret 
of  the  heart,  showing  that  I  loved  more  than 
I  could  show  with  finite  pain.  I  showed 
to  thee  that  my  love  was  infinite.  How  ?  By 
the  baptism  of  blood  united  with  the  fire  of 
my  charity,  and  by  the  general  baptism  given 
to  Christians  and  to  whomsoever  will  receive 
it,  and  by  the  baptism  of  water,  united  with 
the  blood  and  the  fire,  wherein  the  soul  is 
steeped.  And,  in  order  to  show  this,  it  was 
necessary  for  the  blood  to  come  out  of  my 
side.  Now  I  have  shown  thee  (said  my  truth 
to  thee)  what  thou  askedst  of  me. 


216 


Catherine  ot 


caorltil?'  people  Kcnbfc  (31  or?  anti 
to  fl&oti, 
ot 


And  so  perfect  is  her  vision  that  she  sees 
the  glory  and  praise  of  my  name  not  so  much 
in  the  angelic  nature  as  in  the  human;  for 
whether  worldly  people  will  or  no,  they  ren- 
der glory  and  praise  to  my  name,  not  that 
they  do  so  in  the  way  they  should,  loving 
me  above  everything,  but  that  my  mercy 
shines  in  them  in  that,  in  the  abundance  of 
my  charity,  I  give  them  time,  and  do  not 
order  the  earth  to  open  and  swallow  them  up 
on  account  of  their  sins.  I  even  wait  for 
them,  and  command  the  earth  to  give  them  of 
her  fruits,  the  sun  to  give  them  light  and 
warmth,  and  the  sky  to  move  above  them. 
And  in  all  things  created  and  made  for  them 
I  use  my  charity  and  mercy,  withdrawing 
neither  on  account  of  their  sins.  I  even  give 
equally  to  the  sinner  and  the  righteous  man, 
and  often  more  to  the  sinner  than  to  the 
righteous  man,  because  the  righteous  man 
is  able  to  endure  privation,  and  I  take  from 
him  the  goods  of  the  world  that  he  may  the 
more  abundantly  enjoy  the  goods  of  heaven. 
So  that  in  worldly  men  my  mercy  and  charity 
shine,  and  they  render  praise  and  glory  to  my 

III—  15  217 


name,  even  when  they  persecute  my  servants ; 
for  they  prove  in  them  the  virtues  of  patience 
and  charity,  causing  them  to  suffer  humbly 
and  offer  to  me  their  persecutions  and  in- 
juries, thus  turning  them  into  my  praise  and 
glory. 

So  that,  whether  they  will  or  no,  worldly 
people  render  to  my  name  praise  and  glory, 
even  when  they  intend  to  do  me  infamy  and 
wrong. 


SL  pra^r  of  CDrtgtina 


0  Lord,  make  thy  law,  I  entreat  thee,  our 
delight.  Plant  in  our  hearts  love  which  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law.  Teach  us  to  love  thee 
with  our  whole  will  and  being,  and  our  neigh- 
bor as  ourselves.  Keep  us  from  dividing  thy 
commandments  into  great  and  small,  accord- 
ing to  our  own  blind  estimate;  but  give  us 
grace  humbly  to  acknowledge  that  whoso 
transgresseth  in  one  point  is  guilty  of  the 
whole  law.  AMEN. 


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